Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry: Armenian armed units breach armistice

Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry has said the Armenian armed forces continue to violate the ceasefire regime. "The Azerbaijani armed forces came under fire 149 times throughout the day," the ministry said in a statement.

"The Azerbaijani army`s positions came under fire from Armenian villages, including Shavarshavan in Noyemberyan district, Paravakar in Ijevan district, Chinari, Aygedzor and Mosesgekh in Berd district, and unnamed hills in Krasnoselsk district", the ministry said.

"The army`s positions also came under fire from the Armenia-occupied districts of Azerbaijan, including Chilaburt, Yarimja and Goyarkh villages in Tartar, Bash Garvand, Javahirli, Garagashli, Kangarli, Novruzlu, Yusifjanli and Marzili villages in Aghdam, Kuropatkino in Khojavand, Ashaghi Veysalli, Gobu Dilagarda, Garvand, Garakhanbayli, Gorgan and Horadiz villages in Fuzuli, Nuzgar and Mehdili village in Jabrayil, as well as nameless hills in Goranboy, Tartar, Aghdam and Khojavand", the ministry added.

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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.