By Ali Zulfugaroglu, Journalist and Elnur Elturk, Research Expert

Despite having kept more than 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory under its occupation, Armenia launched attacks on Azerbaijan on September 27. Seeing that Armenia continued its terrorist attacks on the civilian population, Azerbaijan was forced to launch a 44-day peacekeeping operation.

However, Armenia again targeted the civilian population, this time firing ballistic missiles at Ganja, the second-largest city in Azerbaijan, 100 kilometers off the front and without any military units, then Barda, as well as Tartar, Mingachevir and other cities. During the time from September 27 until signing the peace agreement (November 10) – 93 civilians were killed and 407 were injured. In addition, 504 civilian objects, 3326 private houses and 120 apartment houses were damaged in Azerbaijan as a result of Armenia’s targeting of densely populated areas.

With a tripartite statement signed on November 10, the occupying Armenia signed a capitulation.

Thus, Armenia was forced to evacuate Agdam, Kalbajar and Lachin without a fight. But this process was not carried out normally. Armenians set fire to houses, shot cattle and other animals in front of the world media in the evacuated areas. At the same time, they caused environmental damage by causing massive damage to nature and mass destruction of trees. All this happened in front of the eyes of the world media.

In general, Aghdam, Fizuli, Jabrayil and other liberated cities were destroyed by Armenians. Residential buildings, historical monuments, museums and other buildings were destroyed and transported to Armenia during the 30 years of occupation. More than 600 industries and agriculture, more than 700 health facilities, about 700 schools, as well as national cultural heritage sites, mosques were destroyed and forest areas were obiterated.

As a result of the Armenian aggression, 13 world-famous, 292 national and 330 local historical and cultural monuments, 22 museums with more than 40,000 exhibits, 927 libraries, 808 clubs, 4 theaters and 2 concert halls, 31 mosques, 9 historical palaces, 8 culture and recreation parks, 4 art galleries, 85 music schools were destroyed. The Aghdam Bread Museum was destroyed, about 13,000 valuable and unique exhibits of the world-famous Kalbajar Museum of History and Ethnography and more than 5,000 valuable and unique exhibits of the Lachin Museum of History and Ethnography were transported to Armenia. As a result of the occupation of Shusha, 8 museums, 31 libraries, 17 clubs, and 8 houses of culture were destroyed. About 5,000 exhibits of Shusha history museum, Shusha branch of Azerbaijan State Museum of Azerbaijani Carpets and Applied Arts, 1000 exhibits of State Karabakh History Museum, memorial museums of genius composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli, great singer Buibul, prominent musician and artist Mir Movsum Navvab, Agdam and funds of Zangilan local history museums were looted. History and local lore museums of Jabrayil, Fizuli and Khojaly regions were also destroyed. Armenians carried out illegal archeological excavations in the occupied Azerbaijani lands, destroyed graves and tombstones.

The environmental crimes have been committed in the occupied territories for almost thirty years. Biodiversity in the region was destroyed, forests were cut down, mineral deposits were looted, reservoirs and the environment have been deliberately polluted. Most importantly, as a result of the aggression, tens of thousands of Azerbaijani citizens were killed and injured, and more than a million people were displaced. The past and present leadership of Armenia is responsible for these crimes against humanity.

Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, said that local assessment companies were involved in the process of assessing the crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan. The private sector also has the experience and intends to use it as well. At the same time, international organizations and independent international institutions will be involved in this process. President Ilham Aliyev’s decree also envisages the involvement of such international institutions in this process through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also, a general assessment of this damage and the figures to be concluded will be presented to the international community through the Foreign Ministry. Because each of these moments is a war crime. ”

The latest report of the working group established under the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan to assess the losses shows that the damage to Azerbaijan is 819 billion. But this figure is growing. Due to all this, Armenia must pay compensation for the material and moral damage caused to Azerbaijan over the past 30 years.

These are terrorist acts not only against Azerbaijan but also against humanity. There are many hotbeds of conflict in the world today. For this reason, this terrorist act committed by Armenia against the civilian population and the environment is a very dangerous trend. Therefore, the international community, especially the foreign media, should not be indifferent to the fact that such atrocities do not continue and do not set a precedent elsewhere. There is a serious need to make coverage of this event more and convey the truth to the world community …

The original article was published on GlobalNewsPakistan . 

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