Baku, Azerbaijan, March 26
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
Over the past 24 hours, the Armenian military, using mortars and heavy machine guns, opened a massive fire on the Azerbaijani armed forces' positions, violating ceasefire 57 times, said Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry Mar. 26.
Armenian armed forces stationed in the Voskevan and Barekamavan villages of the Noyemberian district, and the Paravakar and Berkaber villages of the Ijevan district of Armenia, opened fire on Azerbaijani armed forces positions in the Gushchuayrim and Gaymagli villages of Aghstafa district, Gizilhajili, Kohnegishlag villages of the Gazakh district of Azerbaijan.
Armenians, stationed in the Aygepar and Chinarli villages of the Berd district of Armenia opened fire on Azerbaijani positions in the Alibeyli and Kokhanabi villages of the Tovuz district of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani army positions also came under fire from Armenians stationed in the Talish, Tapgaragoyunlu villages of Goranboy district, Chayli, Goyarkh, Chilyaburt, Giziloba villages of Tartar district, Javahirli, Kangarli, Sarijali, Shikhlar, Shuraabad, Bash Garvand, Yusifjanli, Kuropatkino villages of Hojavend district, Horadiz, Garakhanbayli, Ashagi Seyidahmadli, Ashagi Abdurrahmanli, Ashagi Veyselli villages of Fizuli district, and the Mehdili village of Jabrail district.
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.