Azerbaijan prevents Armenia's diversion on contact line, suffers losses

Baku, Azerbaijan, August 1

Trend:

Armenian armed forces launched a diversion on the night of July 31-August 1, when reconnaissance and sabotage groups tried to cross the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops through territories of Aghdam and Terter regions.

According to the Azerbaijani defense ministry, the effort was revealed and prevented in time, by Azerbaijani armed forces.

An intense firefight resulted in losses from both sides, as Armenian reconnaissance and sabotage groups were forced to retreat.

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 U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four U.N. Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.