Baku, Azerbaijan, August 2
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
The recent situation on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops proves once again that the Armenian government did not abandon its provocative policy, head of "Youth Development Support" "Dushunce" public association Emil Huseynli told Trend on August 2.
"Such provocations on the frontline occur throughout the year, but this time it is a large-scale provocation," he said.
"Apparently, Serzh Sargsyan's government is trying to direct public attention to the frontline to insure against a revolution that may start as a result of socio-economic crisis," he added. "On the other hand, Azerbaijan's increasing military and political power annoys Armenia."
"These provocations may be committed to check the Azerbaijani army's capability," he added.
Huseynli said that Armenia suffered more losses than Azerbaijan in local battles.
"The Armenian Defense Ministry does not mention the exact number of victims and does not inform the public in details," he said. "This means that the loss of Armenia is many more than that of Azerbaijan."
"The recent events have shown once again the power of the Azerbaijani army," he added. "The Armenian government has realized that Azerbaijan may liberate the occupied territories at any time."
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 the territories of Aghdam and Terter regions.
Armenia's reconnaissance and sabotage group attacked the positions of Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Azerbaijan's Aghdam and Agdere regions on the night of August 1-2.
According to the Azerbaijani defense ministry, the effort was revealed and prevented in time, by Azerbaijani armed forces.
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 the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.