Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 4
Trend:
Armenian armed forces have broken the ceasefire with Azerbaijan 121 times by using 60, 82, 120 mm caliber mortars in various parts of the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies in the last 24 hours, Azerbaijani defense ministry said April 4.
Armenian armed forces located in the nameless heights, Berkaber and Paravakar villages of Armenia's Ijevan district opened fire at the positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces located in the nameless heights, Gizilhajili village of the Gazakh district, Kohneqishlaq village of the Agstafa district.
Armenian armed forces located in Voskevan village of Armenia's Noyemberyan district opened fire at the positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces located in Qushchu Ayrim village of the Gazakh district.
Armenian army also opened fire from positions near Gulustan village of the Goranboy district, Goyarkh, Yarimja, Chilaburt, Chayli villages of the Tartar district, Shikhlar, Bash Garvand, Javahirli, Sarijali, Kengerli, Novruzlu, Nemirli villages of the Aghdam district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavend district, Horadiz, Gorgan, Qarakhanbayli, Ashagi Seyidahmadli villages of the Fizuli district and Mehdili village of the Jabrayil district.
Armenians also opened fire upon the Azerbaijani army positions from nameless heights in the Goygol, Goranboy, Khojavend, Fizuli and Jabrayil districts.
Azerbaijani armed forces inflicted 125 strikes upon Armenian positions.
On the night of Apr. 2, all frontier positions of Azerbaijan were exposed to heavy fire from large-caliber weapons, mortars, grenade launchers and guns. In addition, Azerbaijani settlements near the frontline densely populated by civilians were shelled.
The counter-attack was made following provocations of the Armenian armed forces at night of Apr. 2, which resulted in deaths and injuries of civilians.
Six Armenian tanks, 15 gun mounts and reinforced engineering structures have been destroyed and more than 100 servicemen of the Armenian armed forces were wounded and killed during the shootouts.
Twelve servicemen of the Azerbaijani armed forces heroically died, one Mi-24 helicopter was shot down and one tank damaged by a mine.
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.