News, reports, media on combat in Karabakh. October 28, 2020

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to the Russian news agency Interfax.

“[Blackmail by recognition] once again speaks of the inconsistency and insincerity of the authorities of today’s Armenia, because, not recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh themselves, they want other countries to do it.

And their constant blackmail and threats that in case of aggravation they would recognize Nagorno-Karabakh turned out to be a bluff again. The military confrontation has been going on for more than a month, why have they still not recognized Nagorno-Karabakh? It’s very easy to do – let them declare that they recognize it.

This is precisely the essence of their policy, when they have always been trying for many decades, and, unfortunately, sometimes they succeeded, to hide behind other countries. For other countries to solve their problems for them. This is essentially the ideology of the modern Armenian state.

… Therefore, my appeal to them is to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh, recognize it today. By the way, I spoke about this relatively recently. Let it be recognized today, but asking the country to do this again speaks of the inadequacy of the Armenian leadership and very low political literacy.

Because if the Armenian leadership had a little understanding of the fundamentals of international politics, it would have understood that today the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is recognized by the whole world – as a well-known fact, when we joined the UN within the framework of a single state with Nagorno-Karabakh, and within other international structures, ”Aliyev said in his interview.

On October 28, the capital of NK Stepanakert and the second largest city of Shushi were bombed by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Residential areas of the city and civilian infrastructure, including the Stepanakert maternity hospital, were attacked; there are casualties among the civilian population.

“This is a war crime, which is a gross violation of international humanitarian and customary law … The attempts of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan to ruin life in Artsakh are doomed to failure, and their organizers will be held accountable,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on his Twitter announced the transfer of 13 more settlements in Karabakh under the control of the Azerbaijani army.

Aliyev listed these settlements:

Zangilan region: the villages of Birinji Agaly, Ikinji Agaly, Uchundzhu Agaly, Zerneli;

Fizuli region: Mandyly village;

Jebrail region: the villages of Gazanzemi, Khanagabulag, Chyulu, Gushchular, Garaagadzh;

Gubadli region: the villages of Giyasli, Adilje and Gylydzhan.

Qubadlının Qiyaslı, Ədilcə, Qılıcan kəndlərini işğaldan azad etmişdir. Eşq olsun Azərbaycan Ordusuna! Qarabağ Azərbaycandır!

— İlham Əliyev (@azpresident) October 28, 2020

On October 28, at about 13:00, the Armenian armed forces subjected the Azerbaijani town of Barda, located outside the zone of the Karabakh conflict, to a massive missile attack.

As a result of the attack with the use of cluster munitions prohibited by international law, 21 civilians died, about 60 people were injured, the press service of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan reports.

• Missile attack on Azerbaijani city of Barda: 21 dead, dozens wounded

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces continue shelling the NK capital. At the same time, a targeted blow was struck at the hospital. Information about the victims is being specified.

The press secretary of the Armenian Ministry of Defense writes on his Facebook page that the statement of the Azerbaijani side that the Armenian Armed Forces struck a blow from the Smerch MLRS at the city of Barda is groundless.

Today at about 13:00 the Armenian armed forces launched missile strikes on the city of Barda, the press service of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan reported.

According to the source, the attack killed three civilians and injured several others.

“The information disseminated by the Armenian side about the alleged rocket fire of Shushi and Khankendi by the Azerbaijani Army is false.

We declare once again that the Azerbaijani Army never fires the civilian population.

Azerbaijan is observing the humanitarian ceasefire regime, ”the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

The ministry’s message also says that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have also struck Stepanakert with the Smerch jet system. There are no casualties in the capital.

Glendale City Council adopted a resolution recognizing the independence of Karabakh unanimously. The author of the resolution is Mayor Vrezh Aghajanyan.

The city authorities called on the US President and Congress to recognize the independence of Karabakh.

“ANCA Glendale urges city leaders to take decisive steps to move urban investment out of Turkey and Azerbaijan”, ANCA Glendale said in a statement ․

Prior to this, the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh was recognized by the city councils of the American cities of Fowler, Fort Lee, Milan, Thessaloniki, a number of cities in France, as well as the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales

Azerbaijan, in turn, warned that it would immediately sever diplomatic relations with those countries that officially recognize the independence of Karabakh.

The ministry said the blow was struck on the morning of October 28. There are no casualties.

“Yesterday evening Martuni and the upper sub-district of Askeran were shelled, after midnight the situation continued to be tense, but no fire was fired ․ In parallel with the morning hostilities, Azerbaijan again opened fire in the direction of peaceful settlements, ”the statement said.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan has updated data on the number of victims and wounded among the civilian population.

According to the ministry, 69 people were killed and 322 were wounded as a result of shelling by the Armenian armed forces. 2,338 private houses were damaged.

“On October 28, at about 07.30, the Armenian armed forces subjected the territory of the Terter region to artillery fire,” the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported.

“During the day on October 27 and on the night of October 28, units of the armed forces of Armenia, not observing the humanitarian ceasefire, fired at positions of units of the Azerbaijan Army in different directions of the front and settlements near the front zone from various types of weapons.

Combat operations continued mainly on the Agdere, Khojavend, Fizuli, Zangilan and Gubadli directions of the front, ”the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

One month has passed since the beginning of fighting in Karabakh.

• According to the Karabakh authorities, all day on October 27, Azerbaijani military forces bombed settlements in Karabakh.  This is denied by Baku.

• Baku stated that Armenian armed forces launched rocket attacks on the city of Barda in Azerbaijan, killing four local residents. Yerevan has denied the claim.

• An escalation was observed on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia all day on October 27. Yerevan accused Azerbaijan of shelling its southern borders, Baku denied this, but announced a diversion by Armenia in the border area with Iran.

• The Investigative Committee of Armenia reported that there are 17 Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan.

• Jalal Harutyunyan and Nagorno Karabakh Defense Minister was wounded and replaced.

• “The strategy of the Armenian government will not change, the struggle for the rights of the people of Karabakh will continue, the Karabakh Defense Army has personnel and weapons necessary to solve the tasks set,” the Armenian Prime Minister said in a televised address.

• Iran announced that it will present an initiative to resolve the Karabakh conflict. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi arrived in Baku on October 28, then will visit Moscow, Yerevan and Ankara.

•  Turkish President Erdogan called Putin to discuss the Karabakh conflict. The details of the conversation are unknown, the Kremlin’s official website says that “the Russian side has expressed deep concern over the increasingly large-scale involvement of terrorists from the Middle East in clashes.”

• The involvement of any country in the settlement in Karabakh must be coordinated with Armenia and Azerbaijan, said the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov regarding Turkey’s participation in the negotiations on the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

• News, reports, photos / videos on military operations in Karabakh for October 27, 2020