Yuri Khachaturov: Armenian side gave adequate response; enemy suffered serious losses
At the moment there is no need to deploy peacekeepers in the Karabakh conflict zone. The Armenian side is capable of curbing provocations that Azerbaijan makes daily, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Col. Gen. Yuri Khachaturov told reporters today at the opening of the military drills ‘Unbreakable Brotherhood 2015’ of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
According to him, in the last 15 days the Azerbaijani side launched several thousand shells that exploded in Armenia’s civilian settlements, frontline positions, and in the rear – 10 km away from the frontline. “The Armenian side gave an adequate response. The enemy suffered serious losses,” Khachaturov said.
He stressed that unlike the Azerbaijani army, the Armenian forces do not open fire on villages and kill civilians.
Representatives of Armenian Defense Ministry visit Armenian border villages where they meet local residents, familiarize themselves with the situation, and inform the locals about the measures being taken, the chief of the General Staff said.
In his words, border incidents cannot be ruled out as long as Azerbaijan uses mortars.
The Armenian side has repeatedly proposed that Azerbaijan should withdraw snipers and introduce mechanisms for investigation of border incidents, but Azerbaijan rejected all proposals, Yuri Khachaturov said.