SEPARATIST GARABAGH ARMY READY TO REPEL AZERI ATTACK, COMMANDER SAYS
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 25 2006
Baku, April 24, AssA-Irada
The joint military exercises of the separatist Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
and Armenian armed forces that ended last Wednesday were intended to
prepare a retaliatory blow to the Azerbaijani army in the event of a
possible attack, the commander of the so-called Garabagh armed forces,
Seyran Ohanian, told a news conference on Monday.
He said the exercises were also intended to test the Garabagh army’s
combat readiness and the capacity to engage in military action.
“The drills helped establish the possibility of putting the troops
on a high status of alert, perform troop management and coordinate
activities during attack and defense. The exercises also examined
the availability of resources for mobilization.”
Ohanian maintained that the Garabagh army was capable of repelling
a possible Azerbaijani attack along a 250-km frontline. He indicated
that the Armenians had built technical facilities along the contact
line and mined territories. This will make it very difficult for
Azerbaijan to launch an attack, he claimed.