On Tuesday, September 19, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced the start of "local counterterrorism measures" to restore the constitutional order in Karabakh.

This information is mentioned in the official statement issued by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense.

"The systematic shelling of Azerbaijani Army positions by Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh region, ongoing efforts to mine our territories, engineering enhancements to combat positions, and the increased construction of trenches and bunkers in recent months have further escalated tensions." Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan

There is also an escalation in combat positions by personnel, armored vehicles, artillery installations, and other firepower means, as well as the elevation of units to a high level of combat readiness, the establishment of additional mobilization units, an expansion of reconnaissance activities against Azerbaijani Army units, and infiltration deep into our positions with the aim of remitting the cleared land and civilian roads from mines for diversionary-terrorist purposes.

On September 19, due to the explosion of a mine pre-installed by reconnaissance-diversion groups of the Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan, civilian casualties occurred, and a vehicle belonging to the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads was disabled on the Ahmedbeyli-Fizuli-Shusha highway. On the same day, as a result of a military vehicle hitting a mine placed by a reconnaissance-diversion group of the Armenian armed forces, which was transporting servicemen of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, our servicemen were killed and injured. Such incidents are a continuation of Armenia's deliberate and systematic terrorist policy conducted against Azerbaijan.

The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that the continued presence of units of the Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan, in violation of the provisions of the Trilateral Statement signed on November 10, 2020, poses a serious threat to peace and stability in the region.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement, put an end to large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarm and withdraw armed formations of Armenia from our territories, neutralize their military infrastructure, ensure the safety of the peaceful population that has returned to the liberated areas, civil servants involved in construction and restoration work, as well as our servicemen, and to restore the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan, local anti-terrorist measures have been initiated in the region.

Within the framework of these measures, precision weaponry is being utilized to disable the positions of Armenian armed formations on the front line and in the rear, their long-term firing points, as well as military equipment and military facilities.

"We once again emphasize that the civilian population and civilian infrastructure are not targets, and only legitimate military targets are being disabled. The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and the leadership of the Joint Turkish-Russian Monitoring Center have been informed about the ongoing operations." Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan