BAKU (DNA) -Since September 27, 2020 the armed forces of Armenia have been targeting the civilian population, private houses and civilian infrastructure in Azerbaijan in a deliberate, widespread and systematic manner. By doing so, Armenia grossly violates its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions and its Additional Protocols as well as disregards the humanitarian ceasefire declared on October 10, 18 and 25.

On October 28, Armenia continued to escalate tensions with attacks in various directions, including across the international border with Azerbaijan. The border regions of Azerbaijan –  Tovuz, Gadabay, Dashkasan and Gubadli were fired by the enemy from the territory of Berd, Chambarak, Vardenis and Gorus regions of Armenia.

Moreover, Armenia’s armed forces continuously targetedAghjabadi, Barda, Goranboy and Tartar regions with heavy artillery, including “Smerch” and BM-21 “Grad” multiple-launch rocket systems that caused enormous human suffering and damage to civil infrastructure.

Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) reported that the Barda region was attacked with 300mm “Smerch” 9M525 rockets containing 9N235 bomblets, which is a cluster munition banned under the international law.

As of October 28, in total 90 civilians, including children, women and elderly were killed, more than 380 civilians have been hospitalized with serious injuries.Currently, damages to private and public property being assessed (as of 27 October, reported damages were around 2300 private houses, 92 apartment buildings and more than 400 civilian infrastructure).

Widespread and systematic rocket attacks on the Barda city

On October 28, Armenia, acting on its stated policy of terror, committed another heinous crime against the civilians in Azerbaijan. Around 1pm local time, Armenia launched 300mm “Smerch” rockets with banned cluster munitions at densely populated areas of the Bardacity (located apprx100 km from Armenia’s border and 30 km away from the conflict zone), including its business center and surroundings. As of now, the General Prosecutor’s office confirmed 21 civilians killed and more than 70 wounded. Civil infrastructure facilities and vehicles were extensively damaged.

The attack on Barda’s residential areas is the second deliberate attack within 20 hours with banned munitions. Earlier, on October 27, as a result of Armenia’s attack using the same type of cluster munition, four civilians died and thirteen civilians were injured. In total, civilian casualties in the Barda region within 20 hours are reportedly 108 with 25 killed and 83 injured (as of now, the list of casualties are being clarified).

The attack on the Barda city is the single, most blody

According to ANAMA’s report, six locations (HuseinJavid str., Baku str., Natavan str., Koroglu str., Bahadur Haciyev str. and Heydar Aliyev–UzeirHajibeyov crossing) in the Barda city were hit with with 300mm “Smerch” 9M525 rockets containing 9N235 bomblets.

This is another terror act bythegovernment of Armenia against the civil population of Azerbaijan, follows a notorious pattern of terror acts earlier committed by Armenia in Ganja, Tartar and other towns in a deliberate, widespread and systematic manner. The policy of terror were publicly declared by Armenia’s government officials as a strategy to strike at peaceful settlements in order to cause panic.[1]

The rocket attacks against the civilian population in Barda, along with ballistic missile attacks which Ganja and other towns constitute a war crime anda crime against humanity perpetrated in a deliberate, widespread and systematic manner.

Below are photo evidences from the scene.