“Secret losses of war” – BBC on Azerbaijan withholding casualty info

14:59,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani authorities are not disclosing information on their military casualties to their own public, however the number of new graves at the military cemetery of the 4^th largest city of Mingachevir (population of 100,000), gives an approximate picture about the volumes of the losses, BBC Russia reported, noting that it found dozens of new graves there.

“So many were buried here since the escalation of the Karabakh conflict,” the article said.

BBC mentioned that Azeri leader Ilham Aliyev is withholding information on casualties for now. “The Azeri public will be informed about it after the completion of the active phase of the military operations,” Aliyev had said in an earlier interview to the Russian First Channel.

The article also noted that according to the Armenian Defense Ministry the Azeri military lost 6309 troops in between September 27 and October 20.

On October 23, the Armenian Defense Ministry said that the Azeri military casualties are nearing 10,000.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS