Tweet
Agence France Presse
May 14, 2013 Tuesday 9:32 AM GMT
Azerbaijan conducts war games near Karabakh frontline
BAKU, May 14 2013
Azerbaijan is carrying out major military exercises close to the
disputed Nagorny Karabakh frontline with Armenia, the country's
defence ministry said Tuesday.
"The armed forces of Azerbaijan have started the next stage of
large-scale military exercises in the frontline zone," the defence
ministry said in a brief statement.
The exercises -- which include both land and air forces -- will last
until the end of the week, the statement said.
Armenia-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in
a war in the 1990s that left some 30,000 dead, and no final peace deal
has been signed since a 1994 ceasefire.
Frequent clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops along their
border and in the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh -- with 15
people reportedly killed last year from both sides -- highlight the
risk of a fresh conflict between the arch-foes.
Flush with petrodollars, oil-rich Azerbaijan has threatened to take
back the disputed region by force if negotiations do not yield
results, while Armenia has vowed massive retaliation against any
military action.
Azerbaijan held similar exercises close to the frontline to test new
weaponry in February, according to an earlier statement from the
defence ministry.
Last month forces belonging to the region's Armenian-backed
administration staged their own military exercises, local media
reported.
eg-del/ma/fb
May 14, 2013 Tuesday 9:32 AM GMT
Azerbaijan conducts war games near Karabakh frontline
BAKU, May 14 2013
Azerbaijan is carrying out major military exercises close to the
disputed Nagorny Karabakh frontline with Armenia, the country's
defence ministry said Tuesday.
"The armed forces of Azerbaijan have started the next stage of
large-scale military exercises in the frontline zone," the defence
ministry said in a brief statement.
The exercises -- which include both land and air forces -- will last
until the end of the week, the statement said.
Armenia-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in
a war in the 1990s that left some 30,000 dead, and no final peace deal
has been signed since a 1994 ceasefire.
Frequent clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops along their
border and in the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh -- with 15
people reportedly killed last year from both sides -- highlight the
risk of a fresh conflict between the arch-foes.
Flush with petrodollars, oil-rich Azerbaijan has threatened to take
back the disputed region by force if negotiations do not yield
results, while Armenia has vowed massive retaliation against any
military action.
Azerbaijan held similar exercises close to the frontline to test new
weaponry in February, according to an earlier statement from the
defence ministry.
Last month forces belonging to the region's Armenian-backed
administration staged their own military exercises, local media
reported.
eg-del/ma/fb