Pakistan strongly condemns attack on Azerbaijan’s Tovuz by Armenia

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly condemned on Monday the attack by the Armenian forces on Azerbaijan’s Tovuz district on July 12, said the Foreign Office in a statement.

The FO in its official statement extended sincere condolences to the bereaved Azeri families after the attack inflicted casualties on them.

“The unresolved conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh poses a serious threat to regional peace and security with far-reaching consequences,” said the FO.

Calling the recent provocation by Armenia to distract the international community, the FO said it was also an attempt by the country to disrupt talks for peaceful resolution of the conflict as per the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Pakistan said it is reaffirming its principle position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, reiterating its support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Deadly border clashes 

Deadly border clashes between arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan began last week, as the EU and regional power broker Moscow urged restraint.

Three Azerbaijanis were killed on Sunday and one on Monday, Baku's defence ministry said, adding that both sides were using artillery, mortars and tanks in the north part of their border.

The Armenian foreign ministry said the artillery fire from Azerbaijan "receded" later on Monday, claiming Yerevan was "fully controlling" the situation.

The two former Soviet republics have been locked in a simmering conflict for decades over Azerbaijan's region of Nagorny Karabakh, which was seized by ethnic-Armenian separatists in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives.

The international community still views the region as part of Azerbaijan.