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AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER KILLED IN NEW KARABAKH CLASH
Agence France Presse
November 20, 2014 Thursday 1:30 PM GMT
BAKU, Nov 20 2014
Armenian troops on Thursday killed an Azerbaijani soldier, the defence
ministry in Baku said, amid escalating tensions in the longstanding
conflict over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region.
Last week, Armenia threatened "grave consequences" after Azerbaijani
forces shot down a helicopter belonging to the army of the breakaway
ethnic Armenian region.
The new shooting comes amid major escalation in the Karabakh conflict
since the beginning of the year with Azerbaijani and Armenian forces
regularly exchanging fire across their border and along the Karabakh
frontline.
An Azerbaijani army soldier, 19-year-old Rustam Azizov, "was killed
on November 20 as a result of a ceasefire violation by Armenia,"
Baku said in a statement without giving further details.
In August, more than 20 troops were killed from both sides in the
deadliest clashes since a ceasefire was agreed in 1994.
Armenia-backed separatists seized the mountainous region from
Azerbaijan in a bitter war in the 1990s.
Despite years of negotiations, the two sides have not yet signed a
final peace deal, with Karabakh still internationally recognised as
part of Azerbaijan.
Oil-rich Azerbaijan, whose military spending exceeds Armenia's entire
state budget, has threatened to take back the region by force if
negotiations do not yield results.
Armenia, which is heavily armed by Russia, says it could crush any
offensive.
Agence France Presse
November 20, 2014 Thursday 1:30 PM GMT
BAKU, Nov 20 2014
Armenian troops on Thursday killed an Azerbaijani soldier, the defence
ministry in Baku said, amid escalating tensions in the longstanding
conflict over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region.
Last week, Armenia threatened "grave consequences" after Azerbaijani
forces shot down a helicopter belonging to the army of the breakaway
ethnic Armenian region.
The new shooting comes amid major escalation in the Karabakh conflict
since the beginning of the year with Azerbaijani and Armenian forces
regularly exchanging fire across their border and along the Karabakh
frontline.
An Azerbaijani army soldier, 19-year-old Rustam Azizov, "was killed
on November 20 as a result of a ceasefire violation by Armenia,"
Baku said in a statement without giving further details.
In August, more than 20 troops were killed from both sides in the
deadliest clashes since a ceasefire was agreed in 1994.
Armenia-backed separatists seized the mountainous region from
Azerbaijan in a bitter war in the 1990s.
Despite years of negotiations, the two sides have not yet signed a
final peace deal, with Karabakh still internationally recognised as
part of Azerbaijan.
Oil-rich Azerbaijan, whose military spending exceeds Armenia's entire
state budget, has threatened to take back the region by force if
negotiations do not yield results.
Armenia, which is heavily armed by Russia, says it could crush any
offensive.