Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 23
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
The Armenian sabotage and reconnaissance groups tried to cross the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops last night, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend Jan. 23.
While suffering losses during the intense shooting, the Armenians were forced to retreat thanks to the vigilance of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, the ministry said.
According to the preliminary data, Lieutenant Karen Galstyan and Artak Sargsyan were killed, the Armenian media reported.
The ministry stressed that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces suffered no losses.
Azerbaijani servicemen fully control the situation along the contact line and are ready to prevent any sabotage of the enemy.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.