Five Armenian soldiers killed, 8 wounded in next ceasefire violation

By Sara Rajabova - AzerNews 

Azerbaijani armed forces have prevented new provocation by Armenian armed forces on the contact line of the Armenian-Azerbaijani troops.

Violating the ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan again on the evening of August 22, the Armenian military fired Azerbaijani positions in the Aghdam and Khojavand directions of the frontline using the 60 mm and 82 mm caliber rocket-propelled grenades and large-caliber machine guns, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

As a result of Azerbaijani Army’s retaliatory fire, the enemy provocation was prevented.

The ministry said although the Armenian side again attempted to hide its losses from the public, according to the obtained information, 5 enemy soldiers were killed, 8 were injured.

Following the short-term heavy fire, the Azerbaijani side has decided to cease the fire for letting the other side carry out the dead bodies from the fighting zone and render help to the wounded.

While preventing the enemy attack, three soldiers of the Azerbaijani Army received shrapnel wounds. After the first emergency aid, they were transferred to the military hospitals for receiving more qualified assistance.

The conditions of the servicemen is satisfactory, there is no danger to their lives. After receiving military aid the soldiers were returned to the military units.

The Defense Ministry announced that all the responsibility for the aggravation of the situation on the frontline for the next time and losses among the occupants will rest on Armenia’s military-political leadership.

The ministry warned in advance that blow on enemy positions will be more crushing, effective and ruthless.

The situation on the contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani troops remains tense despite a ceasefire agreement that the sides signed in 1994.

Armenian armed forces, which occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and seven surrounding regions and keeps over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory under its control, has recently been aggravated as the Armenian armed forces have intensified ceasefire breaches.

On August 23, the truce violations reached its peak in its most recent wave as the Armenian armed forces shattered the ceasefire 173 times at different locations.

On the following day, the Armenian military violated the ceasefire 167 times in a day using the 60 mm and 82 mm caliber rocket-propelled grenades and large-caliber machine guns.

Frequent ceasefire violations aggravate the situation, making the Azerbaijani Army to retaliate the enemy.

As top Azerbaijani officials have stated, the Azerbaijani Army stands ready to liberate the occupied lands by the military means if necessary.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Since the war, the Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

Armenia continues the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal of armed forces.

Peace talks brokered by mediators from Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.