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AZERBAIJAN DOWNS HELICOPTER ON KARABAKH FRONTLINE
EurasiaNet.org
Nov 12 2014
November 12, 2014 - 10:46am
In an act with potentially perilous consequences for the South
Caucasus' longest running military conflict, Azerbaijan on November
12 shot down a MI-24 helicopter that it claims belongs to Armenian
forces stationed near the Nagorno-Karabakh frontline. Armenia,
however, asserts that the helicopter belongs to breakaway Karabakh's
military forces.
Additional information, for now, is scarce. The Azerbaijani defense
ministry alleged that the helicopter "violated the country's airspace,"
and had "attempted to attack positions of the Azerbaijani army near
Agdam district.," the pro-government news agency Trend reported.
In a statement posted only in Azeri, the defense ministry claimed
that three crew members were killed. A second helicopter "managed to
get away" from the line of fire, it alleged.
The commander who oversaw the operation, one "M. Muradov," has been
"awarded with valuable prizes and awards" by Azerbaijani Defense
Minister Zakir Hasanov, the ministry said.
Armenian defense ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisian has
refused to confirm reports that three crew members were killed,
a Karabakhi news outlet reported.
In a statement, Armenia's defense ministry claimed only that the
helicopter was downed while taking part in a regular training exercise,
and that Azerbaijan had continued with "intensive fire . . .
in the direction of the event." Details are still being determined,
it said.
Karabakh's Artsakh TV reported on November 11 that the region's
de-facto leader, Bako Sakian, had visited the training exercise
(Unity-2014), but its de-facto official sites provided no coverage
about the downed helicopter.
Yerevan's anger, however, is plain. "The consequences of this
unprecedented escalation will be very painful for the Azerbaijani side
and will remain on the conscience of the military-political leadership
of Azerbaijan," stated Armenia's defense ministry spokesperson,
Artsrun Hovhannnisian, Public Radio of Armenia reported.
The Azerbaijani defense ministry, in a statement picked up by
pro-government news agencies, earlier had alleged a pick-up in supposed
Armenian violations of the cease-fire over the past day.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have spent a large part of 2014 hovering
on the brink of all-out conflict, with an unprecedented number of
violations of the 1994 cease-fire agreement that put six years of
fighting on hold.
The violations had slowed after an August meeting by both Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan with
Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country, with the US and
France, oversees talks between the two sides.
Arguably, with NATO and the Ukrainian government reporting on November
12 that Russian tanks and troops have crossed into eastern Ukraine,
Putin may now have other things on his mind.
EurasiaNet.org
Nov 12 2014
November 12, 2014 - 10:46am
In an act with potentially perilous consequences for the South
Caucasus' longest running military conflict, Azerbaijan on November
12 shot down a MI-24 helicopter that it claims belongs to Armenian
forces stationed near the Nagorno-Karabakh frontline. Armenia,
however, asserts that the helicopter belongs to breakaway Karabakh's
military forces.
Additional information, for now, is scarce. The Azerbaijani defense
ministry alleged that the helicopter "violated the country's airspace,"
and had "attempted to attack positions of the Azerbaijani army near
Agdam district.," the pro-government news agency Trend reported.
In a statement posted only in Azeri, the defense ministry claimed
that three crew members were killed. A second helicopter "managed to
get away" from the line of fire, it alleged.
The commander who oversaw the operation, one "M. Muradov," has been
"awarded with valuable prizes and awards" by Azerbaijani Defense
Minister Zakir Hasanov, the ministry said.
Armenian defense ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisian has
refused to confirm reports that three crew members were killed,
a Karabakhi news outlet reported.
In a statement, Armenia's defense ministry claimed only that the
helicopter was downed while taking part in a regular training exercise,
and that Azerbaijan had continued with "intensive fire . . .
in the direction of the event." Details are still being determined,
it said.
Karabakh's Artsakh TV reported on November 11 that the region's
de-facto leader, Bako Sakian, had visited the training exercise
(Unity-2014), but its de-facto official sites provided no coverage
about the downed helicopter.
Yerevan's anger, however, is plain. "The consequences of this
unprecedented escalation will be very painful for the Azerbaijani side
and will remain on the conscience of the military-political leadership
of Azerbaijan," stated Armenia's defense ministry spokesperson,
Artsrun Hovhannnisian, Public Radio of Armenia reported.
The Azerbaijani defense ministry, in a statement picked up by
pro-government news agencies, earlier had alleged a pick-up in supposed
Armenian violations of the cease-fire over the past day.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have spent a large part of 2014 hovering
on the brink of all-out conflict, with an unprecedented number of
violations of the 1994 cease-fire agreement that put six years of
fighting on hold.
The violations had slowed after an August meeting by both Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan with
Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country, with the US and
France, oversees talks between the two sides.
Arguably, with NATO and the Ukrainian government reporting on November
12 that Russian tanks and troops have crossed into eastern Ukraine,
Putin may now have other things on his mind.