Armenia asks to stop frontline shooting – Azeri defense ministry
The military leaders of Armenia that is facing turmoil at home have
requested both the Azerbaijani government and international groups
to immediately stop shooting on the frontline, the Azerbaijan
Defense Ministry said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said the other side has incurred "numerous casualties and injuries".
"The combat readiness of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces is high. Challenging our army by force will not become for the Armenian military," it said.
The ministry reiterated that Armenia had violated ceasefire to divert attention from the internal crisis that followed the country’s February 19 presidential poll. "But the Armenian side is now disseminating biased reports in the media to conceal the real number of casualties."
The Azerbaijan Defense Ministry confirmed that four Azerbaijani soldiers had been killed and one injured after Armenian armed forces breached ceasefire in the frontline Terter and Goranboy districts on Tuesday. 12 Armenian soldiers are said to have died and 15 others heavily injured during the skirmishes.
The Armenian side claimed that the Azerbaijani ministry’s data was inaccurate and that Azerbaijan had allegedly sustained more casualties.
Chairman of the Azerbaijani parliamentary commission on security and defense issues, Ziyafat Asgarov, said the tensions observed on the frontline would be discussed with President Ilham Aliyev.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov agreed that the ceasefire violations aimed to distract attention from the chaos in Armenia. He said Baku had informed diplomatic missions and international organizations of the current situation.
Armenian officials have blamed the opposing side for initiating the clashes.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus republics reared up in the late 1980s due to Armenia’s territorial claims. Armenia has been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory since the early 1990s in defiance of international law. The ceasefire accord was signed in May 1994, but over a decade of efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been fruitless so far.*
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said the other side has incurred "numerous casualties and injuries".
"The combat readiness of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces is high. Challenging our army by force will not become for the Armenian military," it said.
The ministry reiterated that Armenia had violated ceasefire to divert attention from the internal crisis that followed the country’s February 19 presidential poll. "But the Armenian side is now disseminating biased reports in the media to conceal the real number of casualties."
The Azerbaijan Defense Ministry confirmed that four Azerbaijani soldiers had been killed and one injured after Armenian armed forces breached ceasefire in the frontline Terter and Goranboy districts on Tuesday. 12 Armenian soldiers are said to have died and 15 others heavily injured during the skirmishes.
The Armenian side claimed that the Azerbaijani ministry’s data was inaccurate and that Azerbaijan had allegedly sustained more casualties.
Chairman of the Azerbaijani parliamentary commission on security and defense issues, Ziyafat Asgarov, said the tensions observed on the frontline would be discussed with President Ilham Aliyev.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov agreed that the ceasefire violations aimed to distract attention from the chaos in Armenia. He said Baku had informed diplomatic missions and international organizations of the current situation.
Armenian officials have blamed the opposing side for initiating the clashes.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus republics reared up in the late 1980s due to Armenia’s territorial claims. Armenia has been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory since the early 1990s in defiance of international law. The ceasefire accord was signed in May 1994, but over a decade of efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been fruitless so far.*
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