"The second attempt to achieve ceasefire was unsuccessful, because they violated the truce 2 minutes after it entered into force, they once again attacked our civilians. This morning from 6 o'clock until 8 o'clock, they fired more than 100 missiles to mostly damaged Tartar city where a lot of civilians live. They attack our military positions. They want to return the already liberated areas," said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in an interview to Japan's "Nikkei" newspaper. 

The head of state said: "As you know, after the first ceasefire attempt, during less than 24 hours, they attacked the second largest city of Azerbaijan Ganja with a ballistic missile. This is a war crime, and the Armenian government will be held accountable for that. Thus, they have violated the ceasefire. I have always said that it is impossible to achieve truce in a one-sided way. If we are attacked, we should not only defend ourselves, but also carry out a counter attack."

Noting that the Azerbaijani army has liberated Zangilan city and a number of villages after the Armenians violated the truce for the second time, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted that the more time passes on the battlefield, the more areas the Azerbaijani armed forces liberate. 

"Therefore, the Armenian government should seriously consider its behavior, and if they want the ceasefire to be effective, first of all, they should take serious responsibility about not violating the truce, stopping to attempt to return the already liberated territories and withdrawing from the occupied Azerbaijani lands," the head of state added.