No one can blame Azerbaijan for not doing its utmost to establish peace in its Karabakh region and to fully integrate the Karabakh Hayan population. For three years after the 44-day war, Azerbaijan tried to find a compromise and resolve all contentious issues peacefully.  For example, Azerbaijan was ready to allow the Lachin road to function if Armenia opened the Zangezur corridor and did not use the Lachin road to plunder Azerbaijani soil and transfer weapons and fighters to Azerbaijani territory. Moreover, there was talk of amnesty for ordinary separatists and members of illegal armed separatist groups - in case of their voluntary disarmament and confession, of course. In addition, Azerbaijan literally begged the separatists to allow it to supply the Karabakh Khaitan population by road through Aghdam, but humanitarian aid was refused. Because it did not fit into the provocative spectacle of alleged "famine", "blockade" and "genocide" organised by the separatists.

In the end, the separatists became so brazen that they began to prepare, almost without concealment, for the instigation of a "great war", trying to draw Russia and Iran into it on their side. At the same time, this war threatened to "blow up" not only Azerbaijan, but the entire South Caucasus region, as it envisaged a new invasion of Georgia by the Russian Federation, the penetration of a "military corridor" through it, cutting off all transit communications, which would be a catastrophic blow to the world economy.

The Hayan "Artsakh" separatists have clearly decided to apply the experience of the Russian Federation in the occupied Ukrainian territories to the new war, which consists in the total mining of everything possible, including the roads, which are already regularly used by the Azerbaijanis. According to the plan of the separatists and revanchists, the "mine terror" should prevent the advance of the Azerbaijani army. Especially if, according to their calculations, a "big war" is provoked.

As a result, on 18 September 2023, six Azerbaijani citizens were killed by the explosion of a mine recently planted by the separatists. Azerbaijan was confronted with the fact that the separatists had resumed the "mine terror". It became clear that the attempt to "treat" the separatist cancer with "soft" methods was no longer realistic - only surgical intervention and complete removal of this tumour was necessary. This surgical operation began on 19 September 2023 with strikes on the separatist illegal gangs' places of dislocation.

According to the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry, 'in order to ensure the safety of our servicemen and to restore the constitutional order of Azerbaijan, local anti-terrorist measures have been taken in the region'. It is also reported that the command of the Russian Federation's military contingent in Karabakh and the leadership of the Joint Turkish-Russian Monitoring Centre have been informed of the measures taken.

This time, Azerbaijan is making it clear that it has no intention of continuing to coddle the separatists and tolerate their arbitrary behaviour on its territory. Either the separatists surrender, dissolve their illegal armed formations and so-called "authorities", and stop interfering with those who want to integrate into Azerbaijani society and those who do not want to leave Azerbaijani territory, or they will be destroyed.

By all accounts, the separatists and those behind them are not going to de-escalate yet. This is very sad for the Karabakh Hays, as it can lead to completely unnecessary casualties among the civilian population, which the separatists use as a "human shield".

Now the separatist leaders in Khankendi, instead of seeking ways to peace for the benefit of the Karabakh Hays first of all, have started a real "military hysteria". "Ruben Vardanyan, "ex-minister" of the Karabakh Hay separatist enclave, who is betting on Russia's participation in the war "for Artsakh", called on Armenia to "recognise the independence of the separatist 'Artsakh'" and take military action. Vardanyan believes that in such a case "Russia will help the Hay". He did not explain how Russia could help the Artsakh separatists without resolving the issue of withdrawal from the Ukrainian war.

The separatists want to take as many Karabakh Hays as possible to their graves, but they do not want to give up their claims to other people's land. So much the worse for the Hayi nationalists, who continue to bet on separatism. Unfortunately, they are once again condemning thousands of Hays who believed in them to forced exile.

But even in the current situation, Azerbaijan is ready to meet the Karabakh Hays if they agree to put an end to separatism forever and become full citizens of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani authorities are ready to receive representatives of the Karabakh Hays, but the main condition for negotiations is the dissolution of the separatist regime.

 The presidential administration of Azerbaijan expressed its readiness "to meet in Yevlakh (a city in the central part of the country) with representatives of the Hays living in Karabakh". It is noted that "in order to stop the anti-terrorist measures, the illegal armed Hayan formations must raise the white flag, hand over all weapons and the illegal regime must be dissolved". Otherwise, the anti-terrorist measures will continue to the end. All responsibility for their consequences for ordinary Karabakh Armenians lies with the separatists and their patrons.

The surgical removal of the "Artsakh" separatist cancer will dramatically accelerate the treatment of other "neglected separatist" diseases in the South Caucasus region. First of all, in Georgian Abkhazia and Samachablo. This is not necessarily about "surgery". But the separatists must realise that the time for their projects has long passed, and most importantly - the Russian authorities must understand the perniciousness of supporting separatism.

Alexander Zakhariadze