“After the Patriotic War, an alternative dirt road bypassing the city of Shusha was laid to transport illegal ammunition, military personnel, fuel, and mines from Armenia to Karabakh. Many of the mines produced in Armenia in 2021, i.e., after the Patriotic War, were buried mainly in areas close to settlements, cemeteries, forests, and highways, as well as 2 km wide in about 100 km along the contact line,” Colonel Anar Eyvazov, Chief of the Department of the Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with the Ministry’s website on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the successfully completed anti-terror operation.

According to him, the information was obtained about the deployment of combat equipment by the remnants of the Armenian armed forces in the settlements inhabited by Azerbaijani residents of Armenian origin, the establishment of long-term firing positions around these settlements and the shelling of Azerbaijan Army units. “We found out that they were threatening civilians of Armenian origin to be armed and provoking armed provocations against the Azerbaijan Army units.”

“There was also sufficient information about sabotage and diversion plans for the explosion of important strategic infrastructure facilities, water reservoirs, bridges, catering and production facilities operating in the Karabakh economic zone, hiding and designing positions of illegal Armenian armed detachments in the mountains, forests and strategic heights. We got information that Azerbaijani families returning to the liberated territories, as well as specialists working in construction works, would be subjected to sabotage acts and artillery fire by illegal Armenian armed detachments.

Intelligence means of our Army determined that more than 200 surveillance cameras belonging to the Armenian armed forces were installed to monitor the movement of our units and civilians along the contact line up to 480 kilometers,” the Colonel emphasized.

Colonel Anar Eyvazov also highlighted the involvement of terrorist organizations such as "Voma," "Yerkrapah," "Artsiv-30-Ararat," and volunteer groups like "Army of Light," "Red Berets 5165," "Armenian Eagles," "Aramo 114" in combat training and shooting activities in 11 training and educational centers.

“We were aware of every step of the enemy and waited for the corresponding moment. There were opportunities and conditions, the time was ripe and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief gave an assignment. Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief knew exactly what to do when. Our Armed Forces successfully, confidently, and swiftly carried out the instruction of the head of state,” he underscored.

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