Bako Sahakyan: Struggle not about territory, it’s about our native country

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno Karabakh issue is originally presented in a distorted way by Azerbaijan. This was stated by President of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan in Stepanakert during a press conference, adding that Azerbaijan is always presenting the issue guided by hysteria, pointing out territorial issues.

“This issue was born a century ago. We struggle not for territories, but for our native country. I had the chance to present that we do not only carry out a mission for that physical security of the people of Artsakh, we struggle for our dignity, and we are the forerunners in this struggle, we have a unique mission. We will continue carrying out this mission with the same sense, putting the Motherland above anything else”, Bako Sahakyan said.

According to him, the essence of the Nagorno Karabakh issue is the national liberation movement, where the Armenian people are united in one front. “We do not differentiate our brothers and sisters of Mother Armenia and the Diaspora from the Artsakh people. We are one whole, and we will continue building out life with this sense and perception and will have achievements”, President of Artsakh said.

Along the entire length of the contact line of Nagorno Karabakh- Azerbaijani opposing forces, on April 1 and throughout the morning of April 2, the adversary undertook large-scale offensive military actions, during which the adversary shelled with missile-artillery units not only Armenian defense positions, but also civilian settlements.

According to the data of the Defense Army, the Azerbaijani armed forces fired MM-21 (Grad) multiple rocket launcher on April 2, at 08: 30 in the direction of Martuni (NKR), killing 12 year old Vaghinak Grigoryan and wounding two other children. 4 other civilians were wounded later.On April 3 the subversive group of Azerbaijan brutally killed 3 elderly and vandalized their corpses in Talish village.

The Armenian side has 32 causalities, 25 soldiers missing, 121 wounded. 5 more people including the heads of two rural communities of Syunik Marz,were killed on their way to Martakert on April 4.

Due to the timely and professional actions of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army, it was possible to take the situation under control, and make the enemy suffer considerable losses. On April 1-5 as a result of the crushing counterattacks by the Armenian side against the military aggressions towards the Nagorno Karabakh Azerbaijan lost 2 helicopters, 24 tanks, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, 7 UAVs, 1 21-MM multiple rocket launcher system. During military operations the Azerbaijani armed forces had more than 300 causalities, nearly 2000 wounded. On April 5 at 12:00, the fire was ceased in the line of contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces. The agreement of ceasing the fire was reached at the meeting of the Chiefs of General Staff of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow on April 5.

Azerbaijan intensively violates the ceasefire. In the early morning of April 7, two sabotage penetration attempts were made by Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani armed forces fired towards civilian settlements and military units of the Armenian Vardenis city on April 6, 10:35-23:00. In particular, besides firing various caliber weapons, the Azerbaijani side fired large caliber heavy machine guns and 60mm mortars. The Armed Forces of Armenia did everything for maintaining the ceasefire agreement.