Armenian armed forces violate ceasefire with Azerbaijan

Armenian armed forces have broken the ceasefire with Azerbaijan 36 times in numerous positions in the last 24 hours, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Feb. 20.

Armenian armed forces, located in the village of Berkaber of Armenia’s Ijevan district, opened fire at the positions of Azerbaijani armed forces located in the village of Gizilhajili of the Gazakh district.

Armenian armed forces, located in the village of Aygepar of Armenia’s Berd district, opened fire at the positions of Azerbaijani armed forces located in the village of Alibayli of the Tovuz district.

Azerbaijani positions also came under fire from positions near the villages of Chilyaburt, Qeyarkh, Qizil Oba of the Terter district, Yusifjanli, Kengerli, Sarijali, Shikhlar, Shuraabad, Bash Qervend, Qaraqashli, Merzili of the Aghdam district, Gorgan, Horadiz, Qarakhanbayli, Alkhanli, Ashagi Seyidahmadli, Ashagi Abdurrahmanli of the Fizuli district, Tapqaraqoyunlu, Talysh of the Qoranboy district and Mehdili of the Jabrail district.

Moreover, Azerbaijani army positions came under fire from positions on the nameless heights in the Goranboy and Fuzuli districts.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is expected to monitor the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian armies on Feb.20.

The monitoring will be held under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative, on the contact line located near the village of Kuropatkino of Azerbaijan's Khojavend district.

The opposing side was silenced with return fire.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

/By Trend