Monday, April 11 2016 16:21

 The proposal to conclude a truce with the Armenian side came from Azerbaijan, Lt.-Gen. Movses Hakobyan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, former defense minister of the NKR, says in an interview with the RFE/RL Armenian Service (Azatutyun).  

He says that the chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces applied to the Russian authorities, requesting a truce with the Armenian side. Hakobyan stresses that Armenian soldiers have imposed truce on the adversary again.  

Hakobyan cannot forecast how long the ceasefire will be observed. However, one can say with confidence that the NKR Defense Army and the Armenian Armed Forces will be ready to offer proper rebuff to the adversary. "We think the adversary will make the relevant conclusions and if it attacks the Karabakh positions again, it will receive a more severe response," Hakobyan stresses.   

He points out that the Armenian side foresaw such actions by Azerbaijan and took the relevant measures.  "There were reconnaissance data, but the line of contact is long and it was hard to predict where and when the adversary would launch its active offensive. The adversary used two brigades of special forces and tried to advance its attacks in four directions. Initially, it gained some success in two directions. And then the relevant detachments of the NKR Defense Army stopped the adversary's actions," he says. 

The general stresses that the adversary finally understood the Armenian army is strong and well-trained.  When commenting on the Azeri media reports that he is seriously injured, Hakobyan says, "As you can see, I am safe and sound and I am talking to you. It is hard enough to kill or wound me, because I have been serving for a long time and I have been in the zone of military actions throughout my military service. I know what war is and how to avoid injuries".