Having suffered heavy losses along the front line, Armenian armed forces are responding with shelling Azerbaijani residential areas along the contact line of troops in “retaliation” for their failures, the Defense Ministry told APA.

According to the statement, taking such inhumane steps, Armenia, despite having been insistently warned, is provoking Azerbaijan to take adequate actions.

“Nevertheless, the Azerbaijani side is calling on Armenia to comply with the norms of international law and avoid using violence against civilians,” the ministry said.

“At the same time, the defense minister has ordered all types of troops of the Armed Forces including missile-artillery troops to stand ready to launch devastating strikes on Khankendi town and other occupied residential areas with heavy weaponry at their disposal in case the enemy does not cease shelling our residential areas,” the ministry warned.