Azerbaijan liberates 3 more villages from Armenia

Pushing back from Armenian aggression in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the Azerbaijani army liberated three more villages from Armenian occupation on Monday, Azerbaijan's president announced. 

“Today, Azerbaijan’s Army liberated the villages of Shikhali Agali, Sarijali, and Mezre in the Jabrayil district and several strategic heights in various directions. Successful operation of our glorious Army is ongoing. Karabakh is Azerbaijan!" Ilham Aliyev said on Twitter.

On Saturday, Aliyev announced that the Azerbaijani army had liberated the settlements of Karkhulu, Shukurbeyli, Cherekan, Dashkasan, Horovlu, Mahmudlu, Jafarabad, Yuxari Maralyan and Dejal , also in the Jabrayil district.

Upper Karabakh conflict

The fighting began on Sept. 27, when Armenian forces targeted civilian Azerbaijani settlements and military positions in the region, leading to casualties.

Relations between the two ex-Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Multiple UN resolutions, as well as many international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the invading forces.

The OSCE Minsk Group – co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US – was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but to no avail. A cease-fire, however, was agreed upon in 1994.

Many world powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged an immediate cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense.