Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4
Trend:
A sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armenian army approached the positions of the Azerbaijani army along the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops March 3 overnight, said the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry March 4.
The sabotage and reconnaissance group attempted to plant mines in the Azerbaijani territory, the ministry added.
Armenian soldiers were forced to retreat suffering losses after the Azerbaijani servicemen detected them in time, took preventive measures and inflicted intensive fire strikes upon the opposite side.
Two mines and two hand grenades belonging to the Armenian army, as well as blood-stained items were found at the scene.
Azerbaijan's army suffered no losses.
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 the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.