ASALA fighter calls for strong rebuff to Azerbaijani aggression

Armenia’s reaction to any Azerbaijani aggressive acts  must be twice as strong and effective, an ASALA fighter said today, considering the national army’s potential powerful enough to rebuff the adversary.

“Aggression by Azerbaijan is something we have always witnessed, but there were increasingly many incidents in the past year. This can be said to be a warlike situation. The Azerbaijani side has always proved that it does not believe in any diplomatic efforts and is trying to settle matters with the army’s help,” Vazgen Sislian told reporters.

Asked whether he thinks that the Armenian side managed to properly retaliate against last month’s tragic shooting of an Armenian helicopter, Sislian said he doesn’t find that the reaction adequate. “It wasn’t the reaction I expected, but by bringing [the pilots’] bodies, [the Armenian military] proved that they are able to infiltrate through the enemy’s territory to cause it harm and later return,” he added.

Noting that the war over Nagorno-Karabakh isn’t over de facto, the ASALA fighter said it isn’t surprising at all when soldiers are at times killed on the border. He called for a higher degree of vigilance by the army command. “Although I know that our commanders are well trained, it is important to train also younger soldiers and always explain to them that the country is in a warlike situation,” he added.