Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 21
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Azerbaijani armed forces prevented another diversion of the Armenians on the frontline, the defense ministry of Azerbaijan said Feb.21.
As soon as the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group left the region, the Armenian side tried to commit provocation again, according to the report.
The Armenian sabotage and reconnaissance groups tried to cross the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops on the night of Feb.21, the Azerbaijani defense ministry told Trend.
While suffering losses during the intense shooting, the Armenians were forced to retreat thanks to the vigilance of the Azerbaijani armed forces, the ministry said.
A serviceman of Azerbaijani armed forces, soldier Zalimkhan Javadov was killed in the skirmish.
The ministry of defense said that the military and political leadership of Armenia is responsible for all the provocations committed on the frontline.
The head of the Azerbaijani defense ministry expresses condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased soldier.
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.