Armenia says a number of troopers killed in border flare-up with Azerbaijan | EUROtoday

Issued on: 13/02/2024 – 12:06Modified: 13/02/2024 – 12:09

2 min

Fatal exchanges have been frequent alongside the closed, roughly 1,000 km (621 mile) frontier since 1988 when Armenia and Azerbaijan first went to warfare over the breakaway area of Nagorno-Karabakh, however the scenario had calmed amid peace talks in latest months.

Tuesday’s incident was the largest since a whole lot died when Azerbaijan retook Karabakh in September, prompting an exodus of the area’s ethnic Armenian inhabitants.

Armenia’s Defence Ministry stated in a press release that the 4 troopers had been killed and one other was wounded at a fight publish close to the southern Armenian village of Nerkin Hand. Azerbaijan’s border service stated in a press release that it had staged “a revenge operation” for a “provocation” it stated Armenian forces had dedicated the day earlier than.

“The military and political leadership of Armenia is fully responsible for the incident,” it stated, including that future provocations would face extra severe measures.

Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry stated Armenian forces on Monday night fired at Baku’s positions alongside a northwestern part of the border, round 400 km (250 miles) from Nerkin Hand. Armenia denied the incident.

In a press release, Armenian ambassador-at-large Edmon Marukyan accused Azerbaijan of “criminal, aggressive behaviour”, and stated Baku needed a pretext to assault Armenian forces.

Peace talks stagnate

The Kremlin, which is formally allied to Armenia but additionally has shut ties with Azerbaijan, referred to as for restraint on either side. A Russian peacekeeping contingent stays in Karabakh and its border guards assist patrol Armenia’s frontiers.

The Nagorno-Karabakh area of Azerbaijan had a principally ethnic Armenian inhabitants which received de facto independence after a prolonged warfare through the collapse of the Soviet Union.

But Azerbaijan in September retook Karabakh in a lightning offensive, prompting a speedy exodus of virtually the entire territory’s 120,000 Armenians, and a renewed push from either side for a deal to finish the battle.

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have stated they need to signal a peace treaty, however disagree over points together with exact demarcation of their border and management over a number of small territorial enclaves.

Azerbaijan additionally needs a customs-free transport hall by means of Armenian territory, connecting Azerbaijan’s mainland with its Nakhichevan exclave. Armenia has stated it should retain management over any transport hyperlinks on its soil.

Talks have in latest months appeared to stagnate, with either side accusing the opposite of sabotaging the diplomatic course of.

(Reuters)