Interfax, Russia
June 19 2010
Azerbaijan, Armenia blame each other for deadly clash
BAKU June 19
Azerbaijan has blamed Armenia for a deadly clash between Azeri and
Armenian troops in the vicinity of Azerbaijan's disputed enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh that broke out late on Friday.
The Armenian media said four Armenian soldiers were killed and another
four were wounded in the skirmish, and that one Azeri soldier died.
"Armenia has led itself into a trap by violating the ceasefire regime
in seeking to avoid current negotiations to settle the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict," Azeri Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu
said in a statement. "This must be qualified purely and simply as one
of its regular provocations."
Sabiroglu said the skirmish broke out around midnight and went on for
a long time.
He said there had been increasingly frequent clashes between Azeri and
Armenian troops recently and that, in the latest skirmish and previous
clashes, the Armenian soldiers drew back.
"However, it is a remarkable fact that, for the first time, the enemy
has been forced to openly admit its defeat during the battle. This is
very interesting because, as a rule, the Armenians try to conceal
their losses. In our view, there is no need to look for the reason,"
the spokesman said.
He argued that behind Azeri-Armenian armed clashes is an Armenian ploy
to divert public attention in Armenia from the country's economic
problems. He claimed there is growing public discontent over economic
adversities in Armenia.
"They have once again understated their casualty statistics. We have
accurate information that they sustained greater losses than they have
admitted," Sabiroglu said.
"It must come home unambiguously to aggressive Armenia that, unless it
peacefully withdraws from the occupied lands or resorts to other
provocations of this kind, it will receive even heavier strikes. The
Azeri Armed Forces possess sufficient resources for this," he said.
Armenia occupies Nagorno-Karabakh and Azeri lands bordering it.
Armenia has laid the blame for the latest skirmish on Azerbaijan,
claiming the incident had been designed to wreck Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement talks.
From: A. Papazian
June 19 2010
Azerbaijan, Armenia blame each other for deadly clash
BAKU June 19
Azerbaijan has blamed Armenia for a deadly clash between Azeri and
Armenian troops in the vicinity of Azerbaijan's disputed enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh that broke out late on Friday.
The Armenian media said four Armenian soldiers were killed and another
four were wounded in the skirmish, and that one Azeri soldier died.
"Armenia has led itself into a trap by violating the ceasefire regime
in seeking to avoid current negotiations to settle the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict," Azeri Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu
said in a statement. "This must be qualified purely and simply as one
of its regular provocations."
Sabiroglu said the skirmish broke out around midnight and went on for
a long time.
He said there had been increasingly frequent clashes between Azeri and
Armenian troops recently and that, in the latest skirmish and previous
clashes, the Armenian soldiers drew back.
"However, it is a remarkable fact that, for the first time, the enemy
has been forced to openly admit its defeat during the battle. This is
very interesting because, as a rule, the Armenians try to conceal
their losses. In our view, there is no need to look for the reason,"
the spokesman said.
He argued that behind Azeri-Armenian armed clashes is an Armenian ploy
to divert public attention in Armenia from the country's economic
problems. He claimed there is growing public discontent over economic
adversities in Armenia.
"They have once again understated their casualty statistics. We have
accurate information that they sustained greater losses than they have
admitted," Sabiroglu said.
"It must come home unambiguously to aggressive Armenia that, unless it
peacefully withdraws from the occupied lands or resorts to other
provocations of this kind, it will receive even heavier strikes. The
Azeri Armed Forces possess sufficient resources for this," he said.
Armenia occupies Nagorno-Karabakh and Azeri lands bordering it.
Armenia has laid the blame for the latest skirmish on Azerbaijan,
claiming the incident had been designed to wreck Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement talks.
From: A. Papazian