Astvatsatur Petrosyan: Shushi was liberated due to competent self defence

May 8, 2010 - 16:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - May 8, 1992 Shushi liberation was the first major victory of Armenian side in Karabakh war, according to former Yerkrapah Volunteer Union CS, RA Deputy Minister of Extraordinary Situations, Major General Petrosyan.

“Shushi is unassailable: even 40 000 solider Azeri army proved incapable of capturing it,” Major General told a news conference in Yerevan.

“Our 2000 solider army stood up bravely against overwhelming odds, liberating the town due to competent self defence and well-timed orders of Armenian military commanders.

22 Armenian and 78 Azeri soldiers died in Shushi liberation campaign, with Armenian army’s large –scale attack putting Azeri forces to flight.”

As Astvatsatur Petrosyan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, 400 Chechen militants fought on the side of Azeri army under the command of Shamil Basayev. “On July 3, 1992, 120 Chechen militants were taken prisoner in Karmravan village liberation campaign. Many were killed. Shamil Basaev never returned to Karabakh after the campaign,” he emphasized.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.