Baku, Azerbaijan, March 17
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
Over the past 24 hours, Armenian military 40 times violated ceasefire on various parts of the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said March 17.
Armenian military located in Paravakar village of Armenia's Ijevan district opened fire on Azerbaijani army positions in Kehneqishlaq village of the Agstafa district of Azerbaijan.
Armenian military located on the nameless heights of Armenia's Krasnoselsk district opened fire on Azerbaijani army positions on the nameless heights of the Qadabay district of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani army positions also came under fire from Armenians stationed near the villages of Gulustan, Tapqaraqoyunlu, Talysh of the Goranboy district, Chayli, Chilyaburt, Qekarh of the Tartar district, Yusifjanli, Shuraabad, Sarijali, Javakhirli, Merzili, Novruzlu, Bash Gervend, Shikhlar of the Aghdam district, Kuropatkino of the Khojavand district, Horadiz, Alhanli, Ashagi Seyidahmadli, Ashagi Abdurrakhmanli of the Fuzuli district and Mehdili of the Jabrail district.
Armenians also opened fire from the nameless heights in the Goranboy, Khojavend, Fizuli, Goygol and Jabrail districts.
The opposing side was silenced with return fire.
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.