Azerbaijan Makes Another Incursion into Georgian territory

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TBILISI (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Azerbaijan has strengthened its position on new heights on the peak of the Babakyar (Papakar) mountains, which are situated within Georgian territory, according to an analysis released on November 5 by bellingcat, an investigative website.

The Babakyar mountains include territory from all the three South Caucasian countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.

But this is not the first time Azerbaijan is encroaching into Georgian territory.

PanARMENIAN.Net reported back in January 2017 that Azerbaijan had built defense facilities and strongholds which sank into the territory of Georgia, beginning from the crossroad of Armenia-Georgia-Azerbaijan border and stretching to the Red Bridge checkpoint. Some 6,5 km long, the area covers around 800-1000 hectares.

Armenian political scientist Samvel Meliksetyan revealed back then that Papakar peak, a key military point, is situated in the territory of Georgia, the Azerbaijan border lying south of the mountain. But the Azerbaijanis have gone some 400 meters deep in this area and established a system of strongholds that fully lie on the territory of Georgia.

Azerbaijani media outlets reported back in April 2019 that strategic heights on the border with Armenia have been taken under their government’s control.

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Azerbaijan’s Chief of Staff of the State Border Service, Major General Elchin Ibrahimov, mentioned in his statement that Azerbaijan has “advanced on the contact line in several directions and gained a foothold in strategically important heights”. In viewing freely-available satellite imagery on Google Earth, however, it can be seen that the Azerbaijani military advance occurred within Georgian territory.

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