2 Karabakh soldiers killed in attempt to repel Azeri attackJanuary 4, 2015 - 10:43 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Defense Ministry of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic reported Saturday, Jan 3 that two Karabakh Armed Forces soldiers were killed while attempting to repel an attack from Azerbaijani forces, Asbarez said. The Ministry reported that the incidents took place on the southern and eastern directions of the Karabakh-Azerbaijan border, as Azerbaijanis attempted to violate the Line of Contact at around 3:15 a.m. local time. Artsakh soldiers Karen Grigoryan and Vardan Mkrtchyan were killed, while the Azerbaijani side suffered losses and retreated to their positions. “We strongly condemn the subversive actions carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during the night of of January 2– 3 on the Line of Contact with the Artsakh Defence Army which has resulted in casualties. We express our deepest condolences to the families and relatives of the killed soldiers,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday. “With this another provocation Baku continues to implement the continuous threats of the Azerbaijani authorities on the use of force which are being stated even in New Year messages by the leadership of that country,” added the statement. “This is a flagrant contempt towards the appeals of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries to refrain from provocative actions and escalation of the situation, especially on the eve of and during religious holidays. It is long overdue for the international community to sober the Azerbaijani authorities acting against its calls,” concluded the foreign ministry statement. Related links: The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now. Top stories The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. London’s Armenian community has been left feeling “under attack” after the city’s Genocide monument was vandalised. Partner news | Termination of servicing of MIR cards. IDBank It will not be possible to ensure the full operation of MIR cards in IDBank’s POS-terminals and ATMs Kazakh Foreign Minister arrives in Armenia Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu on Monday, March 18 arrived in Armenia for a two-day trip. Putin secures fifth term as Russian president Russian President Vladimir Putin has secured a fifth term in office through a dubious national plebiscite. Top Armenian, Indian defense officials discuss cooperation The discussions primarily focused on enhancing cooperation in the defence sector between Armenia and India. |