President: 18 Armenian soldiers killed, 35 wounded in Azeri clashes (video) April 2, 2016 - 20:48 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - As many as 18 Karabakh servicemen were killed and 35 were wounded in the course of military operations with Azerbaijani army on April 1-2, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at a Security Council meeting. During the session, the Armenian leader stressed that Azerbaijan has suffered major equipment and human losses. According to Sargsyan, it's time to "take a step forward." "I believe the Foreign Ministry should work with colleagues from Karabakh to prepare an agreement on mutual military assistance," he said. "The Republic of Armenia is fully committed to ensuring the security of the Nagorno Karabakh residents; we have the legal basis for this, having served as one of the parties to the 1994 ceasefire agreement." On the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh, using artillery, armored fighting vehicles and air force equipment among other weapons. Aside from the battles on the frontline, the rival has also carried out artillery strikes on civilian settlements and places of permanent deployment of several military units. On April 2, at around 8:30 am, the rival used BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher in the Martuni direction of the contact line. 12-year-old Vaghinak Grigoryan was killed in the shelling, two more children were wounded. Earleir, the Nagorno Karabakh special forces identified an Azerbaijani subversive group near the Levonarkh settlement and threw the saboteurs back to their positions. According to Armenia’s Defense Ministry, the rival troops retreated after suffering several human losses. Read also:Azerbaijan used Grad rocket launcher to bomb Karabakh school: hospital Azerbaijani army suffered over 200 losses Apr 1-2: Karabakh (video) 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 Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | Viva-MTS: Tech solutions to modernize infrastructure of border village The border village has been the focus of Viva-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Values since 2015. Ucom's fixed network launched in Artashat To mark this occasion, the company has introduced a special offer exclusively for Artashat residents. “By Your Side”: IDBank's new support program for displaced Artsakh citizens IDBank is launching a long-term social support program for forcibly displaced Artsakh residents. The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. |