Tweet
AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 21, 2010 Monday
DEADLY SHOOTING REKINDLES IN GARABAGH
Tensions have escalated between the Azerbaijani and Armenian armed
forces as the two countries troops clashed on the frontline, and
officials exchanged strongly-worded statements following the shooting
that claimed lives on both sides. At around 1.45 a.m. on Monday, a
group of Armenian troops launched an offensive, violating ceasefire,
in another such incident in the past days. A 19-year-old Azerbaijani
serviceman was killed in the shooting, which took place close to a
village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region, according to the Azerbaijan
Defense Ministry. Azerbaijani armed forces, strengthening their
positions, retaliated with rigor, prompting the enemy to sustain
casualties and retreat, the ministry said.
The Baku-based ANS TV channel reported that another Azerbaijani
soldier was wounded in the clash and is currently in serious
condition. The shooting follows a clash last Friday night in the
northern part of Azerbaijan's occupied region of Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh in which five troops were reported killed. Yerevan claimed
four Armenian soldiers had been killed and four others wounded in the
fighting, while one Azerbaijani soldier was later found dead on the
battlefield. Armenia's Defense Ministry alleged in a statement that
the deaths were caused by fighting with an Azerbaijani
20-people-strong armed reconnaissance group, which had allegedly
attempted to cross to the Armenian side of the contact line. The
reconnaissance group reportedly had to pull back, leaving the dead
body and ammunition on the battlefield. Armenian Foreign Minister
Eduard Nalbandian blamed Baku for what he called a high-level
provocation intended to scuttle peace negotiations. The fighting
follows a meeting between the presidents of Russia, Armenia, and
Azerbaijan that took place in St. Petersburg last Thursday on the
sidelines of a major economic forum hosted by the Russian city. The
Azerbaijanis, who have become convinced that it is impossible to
disrupt peace talks with belligerent statements, resorted to an
outright provocation immediately after the presidential meeting,
claimed Nalbandian, who went as far as accusing Baku of doing
everything it can to derail negotiations. Elkhan Polukhov, the
spokesman for the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry, responding to
Nalbandian's statement said, "It was not within the authority of Mr.
Nalbandian to comment on matters, the cause of which lies in the
continuing occupation of Azerbaijani lands." Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian has also termed the shooting that followed the leaders talks
as an open provocation. He said that Armenia would not back down from
its goal to achieve so-called independence of Nagorno Garabagh. The
Azerbaijan Defense Ministry said while commenting on the shooting that
it was the Armenian side that launched the attack on the frontline.
The ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroghlu said the clash had erupted at
around midnight last Friday near a village of the Terter region and
lasted a long time. He also said Yerevan reported fewer casualties
than it had sustained. Sabiroghlu said such shootings have been
frequent of late, however, the Armenian side admitted to its defeat
for the first time. Usually, the Armenians try to conceal the fact of
their casualties. Sabiroghlu noted that Armenia has been violating
ceasefire to backtrack from the ongoing peace talks and the updated
Madrid principles, a proposed peace outline for Garabagh settlement,
and the latest event should be considered nothing but another
provocation on their part. The European Union Special Representative
for South Caucasus Peter Semneby has said in Yerevan that ceasefire
violations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontline and instances of human
casualties are unacceptable. This incident shows that the situation
may spiral out of control any time, which necessitates appeasing the
sides and undertaking confidence-building measures. Azerbaijan and
Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a
cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and
seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law.
Though the separatist regime in Upper Garabagh declared so-called
independence at the time of the Soviet collapse in 1991, this
independence, which blatantly tramples on international law, has not
been recognized by the world community. One million Azerbaijanis have
been displaced as a result of ethnic cleansing. The ceasefire accord
was signed in 1994, but the OSCE-brokered peace talks have been
largely fruitless so far.
From: A. Papazian
June 21, 2010 Monday
DEADLY SHOOTING REKINDLES IN GARABAGH
Tensions have escalated between the Azerbaijani and Armenian armed
forces as the two countries troops clashed on the frontline, and
officials exchanged strongly-worded statements following the shooting
that claimed lives on both sides. At around 1.45 a.m. on Monday, a
group of Armenian troops launched an offensive, violating ceasefire,
in another such incident in the past days. A 19-year-old Azerbaijani
serviceman was killed in the shooting, which took place close to a
village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region, according to the Azerbaijan
Defense Ministry. Azerbaijani armed forces, strengthening their
positions, retaliated with rigor, prompting the enemy to sustain
casualties and retreat, the ministry said.
The Baku-based ANS TV channel reported that another Azerbaijani
soldier was wounded in the clash and is currently in serious
condition. The shooting follows a clash last Friday night in the
northern part of Azerbaijan's occupied region of Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh in which five troops were reported killed. Yerevan claimed
four Armenian soldiers had been killed and four others wounded in the
fighting, while one Azerbaijani soldier was later found dead on the
battlefield. Armenia's Defense Ministry alleged in a statement that
the deaths were caused by fighting with an Azerbaijani
20-people-strong armed reconnaissance group, which had allegedly
attempted to cross to the Armenian side of the contact line. The
reconnaissance group reportedly had to pull back, leaving the dead
body and ammunition on the battlefield. Armenian Foreign Minister
Eduard Nalbandian blamed Baku for what he called a high-level
provocation intended to scuttle peace negotiations. The fighting
follows a meeting between the presidents of Russia, Armenia, and
Azerbaijan that took place in St. Petersburg last Thursday on the
sidelines of a major economic forum hosted by the Russian city. The
Azerbaijanis, who have become convinced that it is impossible to
disrupt peace talks with belligerent statements, resorted to an
outright provocation immediately after the presidential meeting,
claimed Nalbandian, who went as far as accusing Baku of doing
everything it can to derail negotiations. Elkhan Polukhov, the
spokesman for the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry, responding to
Nalbandian's statement said, "It was not within the authority of Mr.
Nalbandian to comment on matters, the cause of which lies in the
continuing occupation of Azerbaijani lands." Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian has also termed the shooting that followed the leaders talks
as an open provocation. He said that Armenia would not back down from
its goal to achieve so-called independence of Nagorno Garabagh. The
Azerbaijan Defense Ministry said while commenting on the shooting that
it was the Armenian side that launched the attack on the frontline.
The ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroghlu said the clash had erupted at
around midnight last Friday near a village of the Terter region and
lasted a long time. He also said Yerevan reported fewer casualties
than it had sustained. Sabiroghlu said such shootings have been
frequent of late, however, the Armenian side admitted to its defeat
for the first time. Usually, the Armenians try to conceal the fact of
their casualties. Sabiroghlu noted that Armenia has been violating
ceasefire to backtrack from the ongoing peace talks and the updated
Madrid principles, a proposed peace outline for Garabagh settlement,
and the latest event should be considered nothing but another
provocation on their part. The European Union Special Representative
for South Caucasus Peter Semneby has said in Yerevan that ceasefire
violations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontline and instances of human
casualties are unacceptable. This incident shows that the situation
may spiral out of control any time, which necessitates appeasing the
sides and undertaking confidence-building measures. Azerbaijan and
Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a
cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and
seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law.
Though the separatist regime in Upper Garabagh declared so-called
independence at the time of the Soviet collapse in 1991, this
independence, which blatantly tramples on international law, has not
been recognized by the world community. One million Azerbaijanis have
been displaced as a result of ethnic cleansing. The ceasefire accord
was signed in 1994, but the OSCE-brokered peace talks have been
largely fruitless so far.
From: A. Papazian