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Azerbaijan celebrates partial retreat of Nagorno-Karabakh forces while Armenia says it was a ‘trick’ that killed 200 ‘enemies’
Conflicting accounts from the two warring sides celebrate their own successes while keeping mum about setbacks as an Azerbaijani report of capture of three villages was met with Armenian claims of eliminating 200 enemy troops.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry said that the forces of Nagorno-Karabakh successfully implemented a “tactical trick” on Monday, which allowed it to deliver significant losses to Azerbaijan’s military.
According to the ministry, the fighters imitated retreat from their battle positions in one of the key areas on the contact line. And when the Azerbaijani soldiers moved in to occupy the ground that they thought was abandoned, they walked straight into a trap.
The Azerbaijani unit was subject to intensive artillery fire and lost some 200 soldiers before fleeing, the Armenian side insisted.
#DefenseArmy of the Artsakh employed a tactical trick, creating impression of retreat in the Azerbaijani units. The enemy made an attempt to occupy abandoned positions & was trapped. Strong artillery strike destroyed most of the Azerbaijani unit. Enemy left 200 KIA and fled.
— Shushan Stepanyan (@ShStepanyan) October 5, 2020
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, which earlier tweeted about the enemy’s retreat, hasn’t commented on any losses among its servicemen.
Almost simultaneously with the Armenian announcement, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev tweeted that his country’s military had “liberated” three villages in Nagorno-Karabakh and gained control of several strategic heights in the region. Aliyev called the Nagorno-Karabakh campaign “successful” for Baku.
Today, Azerbaijan’s Army has liberated Shikhali Agali, Sarijali and Mezre villages of Jabrayil district and several strategic heights in different directions. Successful operation of our glorious Army is ongoing. Karabakh is Azerbaijan!
— Ilham Aliyev (@presidentaz) October 5, 2020
The fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh – a mainly Armenian-populated region regarded as part of Azerbaijan under international law, which declared independence and remains under Yerevan's control since a 1994 ceasefire – erupted a week ago.
The South Caucasus neighbors blame each other for initiating the violence and striking civilian targets, while regularly reporting losses on the enemy’s side and their own military victories.
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Yerevan has vowed to do everything to defend ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh from an Azerbaijani attack, while Baku insists that it’s working for peace, which, however, would only be possible if all Armenian troops withdrew from the region.
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