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ARMENIA WARNS AZERIS OVER HELICOPTER SHOOTING
MWC News
Nov 12 2014
Wednesday, 12 November 2014 12:47
Armenia's Foreign Ministry has threatend "grave consequences" after
Azerbaijani forces shot down one of its military helicopters.
Wednesday's development will fuel fears of a major escalation of the
long-standing conflict over Nagorny Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan
controlled by ethnic Armenians.
The downing is the most serious military incident along the Karabakh
frontier since the 1994 ceasefire that ended a bloody war that cost
30,000 lives over the disputed region.
Armenian media reported that the helicopter's three crew members were
all killed.
"A MI-24 combat helicopter attempted to attack positions of the
Azerbaijani army near [Karabakh's] Agdam district," Azerbaijan's
Defence Ministry said in a statement.
"The helicopter has been shot down by the Azerbaijani army."
The ministry said the wreckage fell on territory held by ethnic
Armenians.
The Azeris also said that an army officer had been honoured for
shooting down the aircraft.
The officer "has been awarded a third degree medal 'For Distinguished
Military Service' for shooting down the enemy's Mi-24 helicopter, and
for vigilance and heroism on combat duty", the Defence Ministry said.
'Unprecedented aggravation'
The attack drew threats of retaliation from Armenia.
"Consequences for this unprecedented aggravation of the situation
will be very painful for the Azeri side," Artsrun Hovhannisyan,
Armenian defence minister, said on his Facebook page.
Armenia said Azerbaijan will face "grave consequences".
"This is an unprecedented escalation and the consequences for
Azerbaijan will be grave," Artsrun Hovannisyan, Armenia's Foreign
Ministry spokesman, told AFP.
"Azerbaijan's claim that the Armenian helicopter attacked its positions
is not true. Examination of the wreckage will prove that the helicopter
carried no weapons."
The separatist Defence Ministry in Karabakh confirmed that its
helicopter was downed by Azerbaijani forces "while conducting a
training flight as part of military drills", adding that a firefight
began after the incident and was continuing.
"The enemy is continuing to fire intensively in the direction of the
site of the incident with small arms of various calibre," it said.
Since Thursday, Karabakh forces have been conducting joint drills
with Armenia coordinated by the Armenian army chief of staff.
Festering conflict
Two decades after a ceasefire agreement ended their bitter war over
Karabakh, Azerbaijani and Armenian forces regularly exchange fire
across their frontier and along the Karabakh frontline.
Last month Europe made a fresh push to end the festering conflict.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's foreign minister, visited both
countries in October to facilitate a negotiated solution to the
conflict.
French President Francois Hollande also hosted leaders from Armenia
and Azerbaijan for Karabakh talks but the meeting ended without any
breakthrough.
Tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia-allied Armenia are escalating
as Russia confronts the West over Ukraine, where government forces
are battling pro-Russian separatists.
"What happened in Ukraine has had a direct impact" on the Karabakh
conflict, a source in Hollande's entourage said in October, adding
that Russia's annexation of Crimea "exacerbated the climate".
http://mwcnews.net/news/europe/47785-armenia-warns-azeris.html
MWC News
Nov 12 2014
Wednesday, 12 November 2014 12:47
Armenia's Foreign Ministry has threatend "grave consequences" after
Azerbaijani forces shot down one of its military helicopters.
Wednesday's development will fuel fears of a major escalation of the
long-standing conflict over Nagorny Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan
controlled by ethnic Armenians.
The downing is the most serious military incident along the Karabakh
frontier since the 1994 ceasefire that ended a bloody war that cost
30,000 lives over the disputed region.
Armenian media reported that the helicopter's three crew members were
all killed.
"A MI-24 combat helicopter attempted to attack positions of the
Azerbaijani army near [Karabakh's] Agdam district," Azerbaijan's
Defence Ministry said in a statement.
"The helicopter has been shot down by the Azerbaijani army."
The ministry said the wreckage fell on territory held by ethnic
Armenians.
The Azeris also said that an army officer had been honoured for
shooting down the aircraft.
The officer "has been awarded a third degree medal 'For Distinguished
Military Service' for shooting down the enemy's Mi-24 helicopter, and
for vigilance and heroism on combat duty", the Defence Ministry said.
'Unprecedented aggravation'
The attack drew threats of retaliation from Armenia.
"Consequences for this unprecedented aggravation of the situation
will be very painful for the Azeri side," Artsrun Hovhannisyan,
Armenian defence minister, said on his Facebook page.
Armenia said Azerbaijan will face "grave consequences".
"This is an unprecedented escalation and the consequences for
Azerbaijan will be grave," Artsrun Hovannisyan, Armenia's Foreign
Ministry spokesman, told AFP.
"Azerbaijan's claim that the Armenian helicopter attacked its positions
is not true. Examination of the wreckage will prove that the helicopter
carried no weapons."
The separatist Defence Ministry in Karabakh confirmed that its
helicopter was downed by Azerbaijani forces "while conducting a
training flight as part of military drills", adding that a firefight
began after the incident and was continuing.
"The enemy is continuing to fire intensively in the direction of the
site of the incident with small arms of various calibre," it said.
Since Thursday, Karabakh forces have been conducting joint drills
with Armenia coordinated by the Armenian army chief of staff.
Festering conflict
Two decades after a ceasefire agreement ended their bitter war over
Karabakh, Azerbaijani and Armenian forces regularly exchange fire
across their frontier and along the Karabakh frontline.
Last month Europe made a fresh push to end the festering conflict.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's foreign minister, visited both
countries in October to facilitate a negotiated solution to the
conflict.
French President Francois Hollande also hosted leaders from Armenia
and Azerbaijan for Karabakh talks but the meeting ended without any
breakthrough.
Tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia-allied Armenia are escalating
as Russia confronts the West over Ukraine, where government forces
are battling pro-Russian separatists.
"What happened in Ukraine has had a direct impact" on the Karabakh
conflict, a source in Hollande's entourage said in October, adding
that Russia's annexation of Crimea "exacerbated the climate".
http://mwcnews.net/news/europe/47785-armenia-warns-azeris.html