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The Daily Star, Lebanon
Au 2 2014
Five killed in clash between Azeris, ethnic Armenians
BAKU: Azerbaijan said Saturday it has lost four troops in new clashes
with arch-foe Armenia near the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region, part
of a dramatic spike in tensions in a long-simmering conflict.
The Defense Ministry in Baku said "Armenia's reconnaissance and
sabotage groups had once again tried to attack Azeri positions at the
line of contact" near the majority Armenian region of Nagorny
Karabakh.
Azeri troops repelled the overnight attack, forcing Armenian soldiers
to retreat, the Defense Ministry said.
"As a result of the clash, four Azeri troops died," the ministry said
in a statement.
Nagorny Karabakh for its part said it had lost a soldier, a
25-year-old ethnic Armenian, and accused Azerbaijan of attempting
"sabotage and reconnaissance activities."
The Defense Ministry of the disputed region said three Azeri troops
had been killed and seven others received injuries.
The latest clashes came after Azerbaijan said Friday that it had lost
eight soldiers in three days of skirmishes with Armenian troops on the
border and near the disputed region.
The two ex-Soviet nations have for years been locked in a protracted
conflict over Nagorny Karabakh with occasional skirmishes along the
front.
But the latest clashes represent a surge in tensions, with one
prominent Azeri military expert saying Baku has not suffered such
losses in a single bout of hostilities since 1994.
International mediators, who have for years sought to help the two
countries reach a breakthrough, expressed concern over the violence
Friday, with the United States renewing a plea for the presidents from
both countries to meet for talks.
"Retaliation and further violence will only make it more difficult to
bring about a peaceful settlement," deputy State Department
spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.
Armenian-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in
a 1990s war that killed 30,000 people.
Despite years of negotiations since a 1994 ceasefire, the two sides
have yet to sign a peace deal.
Energy-rich Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the disputed region
by force if negotiations do not yield results, while Russia's ally
Armenia has vowed to retaliate against any military action.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2014/Aug-02/265840-five-killed-in-clash-between-azeris-ethnic-armenians.ashx#axzz39CXVdvMM
Au 2 2014
Five killed in clash between Azeris, ethnic Armenians
BAKU: Azerbaijan said Saturday it has lost four troops in new clashes
with arch-foe Armenia near the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region, part
of a dramatic spike in tensions in a long-simmering conflict.
The Defense Ministry in Baku said "Armenia's reconnaissance and
sabotage groups had once again tried to attack Azeri positions at the
line of contact" near the majority Armenian region of Nagorny
Karabakh.
Azeri troops repelled the overnight attack, forcing Armenian soldiers
to retreat, the Defense Ministry said.
"As a result of the clash, four Azeri troops died," the ministry said
in a statement.
Nagorny Karabakh for its part said it had lost a soldier, a
25-year-old ethnic Armenian, and accused Azerbaijan of attempting
"sabotage and reconnaissance activities."
The Defense Ministry of the disputed region said three Azeri troops
had been killed and seven others received injuries.
The latest clashes came after Azerbaijan said Friday that it had lost
eight soldiers in three days of skirmishes with Armenian troops on the
border and near the disputed region.
The two ex-Soviet nations have for years been locked in a protracted
conflict over Nagorny Karabakh with occasional skirmishes along the
front.
But the latest clashes represent a surge in tensions, with one
prominent Azeri military expert saying Baku has not suffered such
losses in a single bout of hostilities since 1994.
International mediators, who have for years sought to help the two
countries reach a breakthrough, expressed concern over the violence
Friday, with the United States renewing a plea for the presidents from
both countries to meet for talks.
"Retaliation and further violence will only make it more difficult to
bring about a peaceful settlement," deputy State Department
spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.
Armenian-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in
a 1990s war that killed 30,000 people.
Despite years of negotiations since a 1994 ceasefire, the two sides
have yet to sign a peace deal.
Energy-rich Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the disputed region
by force if negotiations do not yield results, while Russia's ally
Armenia has vowed to retaliate against any military action.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2014/Aug-02/265840-five-killed-in-clash-between-azeris-ethnic-armenians.ashx#axzz39CXVdvMM