With ongoing battles along the entire length of the front line, military positions remained largely intact according to Armenia’s Defense Ministry. A second mercenary captured by the Artsakh Defense Army reveals how they were recruited and sent to fight alongside the Azerbaijani army; says they were offered $2000/month salary, plus a bonus of $100 for each beheading of an “infidel” and told not to leave any Armenians alive.
Here is a chronology of official updates.
10 a.m.: According to Artsakh’s State Service of Emergency Situations, the situation overnight was tense in the city of Martuni and its nearby communities. Azerbaijan’s air force shelled the city, resulting in significant destruction. In the early morning hours, Azerbaijani forces resumed their operations in the direction of Martuni.
7:10 p.m.: According to Artsakh’s Ombudsman, a fire engine transporting drinking water from the town of Askeran to civilians in neighboring communities was targeted.
9:30 p.m.: Armenia’s Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan wrote the following on his Facebook Page:
“Feasts, surveys, polls encouraging killings and cruel treatment of Armenians are organized in Azerbaijani social media, then happiness and pride spread for committed atrocities; other forms of hatred toward Armenians is largely encouraged. Armenia’s Human Rights Defender’s Office obtained evidence confirming all the mentioned facts.
“For example, a photo of a beheaded body is posted in this Azerbaijani social network channel claiming that this is an Armenian soldier and a poll is organized with exceptional cynicism and intention of incitement to hatred. This is clearly confirmed by the attachments to this statement (the original poll and its translation).
“The Human Rights Defender’s Office of Armenia has duly documented all these publications and will send them to relevant international bodies.”
Defense Ministry Live Press Briefing
10 p.m.: During a live press briefing, Artsrun Hovhannisyan of the Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijani Armed Forces along with the terrorist groups continued their offensive from the early morning in different directions of the front line. They mostly operated in small groups. In some of the areas, artillery was used; in others air forces were also employed. Although military operations continued, important changes in military positions have not been registered. Battles are ongoing. Hovhannisyan reminded that the Defense Army units captured a second mercenary, who also confessed that Syrian mercenaries are actively involved in military operations against Armenians. Hovhannisyan noted that, although Azerbaijan and Turkey continue denying the recruitment and involvement of mercenaries in the conflict, the Armenian side is very well aware of the instructions they receive and how they are being used by Azerbaijan. Hovhannisyan stressed that the involvement of mercenaries in the operations on the front line shows that the Azerbaijani ground forces have sustained significant losses and the mercenaries are their only hope.
#Azerbaijan deliberately targeted a fire engine, transporting drinking water from the town of #Askeran to civilians in neighboring communities. No casualties reported.
Once again Aze intentionally targets people with humanitarian functions. #StopAzerbaijaniAgression pic.twitter.com/FLqDcmTaiy— Artsakh / Karabakh Human Rights Ombudsman (@ArtsakhOmbuds) November 1, 2020
@OmbudsArmenia obtained proofs confirming that feasts, surveys, polls encouraging killings & cruel treatment of #Armenians are organized in #Azerbaijani social media, then feast & pride spread for committed atrocities; other forms of hatred towards Arm. are largely encouraged. pic.twitter.com/m2i4Vxuc7z
— Arman Tatoyan (@atatoyan) November 1, 2020
October 31
Statement by the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General on Armenia and Azerbaijan
The United Nations Secretary-General fully supports the call of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, as agreed in Moscow on 10 October, and confirmed subsequently in Paris on 17 October and in Washington on 25 October. The call is contained in the statement issued today by the Co-Chairs at the end of their meetings in Geneva with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by reports of continuing hostilities, which continue to affect civilians. He condemns all such attacks and reiterates that both sides have the obligation, under international humanitarian law, to take utmost care to spare and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in the conduct of military operations.
The Secretary-General calls on the sides to implement, in good faith and on an urgent basis, the concrete steps they agreed to take through the facilitation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, as well as their previous commitments. He urges the sides to continue engaging in a substantive dialogue and to intensify their efforts with the facilitation of the Co-Chairs to reach a peaceful and sustainable settlement of the conflict.
