We strongly condemn the firing of a cornet-type anti-tank missile by the Armenian armed forces on a group of Euronews correspondents and their vehicles in the liberated villages of Talysh and Sugovushan in Azerbaijan.

Axar.az reports that the statement came from Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President, Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration.

"We consider this attack by Armenia as an encroachment on free speech and professional journalism. Fortunately, the missile missed the target, no member of the correspondent group was injured. The vehicle was damaged by shrapnel.

The attack on the vehicle with the Euronews long-range insignia by a guided anti-tank missile was targeted and purposeful.

A Euronews report clearly shows the missile passing at close range over a moving vehicle.

Earlier, Azerbaijani media representatives were fired upon by the Armenian armed forces, some journalists were injured and the vehicles of the film crew were damaged.

Even when international media representatives reporting on military operations from Azerbaijan return to their countries, they face verbal and physical attacks, they got blackmail and threat from Armenian lobby organisations. In some cases, under the pressure of the Armenian lobby, journalists who carry out their professional activities have to lose their jobs. The attacks on the French TV channel TF1 and its film crew, which produced a report from Azerbaijan, by the French Armenian lobby are a clear example of this.

At present, more than 70 international media representatives operate in Azerbaijan. According to the operational conditions on the frontline, they are given the opportunity to prepare reports from the frontline and carry out their professional activities," Hajiyev added.