April 8, 2016 - 10:57 AMT
Azerbaijan keeps firing: 2 Armenian soldiers killed, several wounded

On the night of April 7-8, the Azerbaijani armed forces continuously violated the truce maintenance deal, firing over 2000 shots from various caliber firearms, as well as 60-mm mortars.

Violations were especially intense in the northern (Talish) section of the contact line, where a contract serviceman, Private Hrach Muradyan (b. 1983) was killed in Azerbaijani attacks. Several others were wounded, the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army says.

Another Armenian soldier, Private Gevorg Mghdesyan (b. 1996) under unknown circumstances received a fatal gunshot wound northeast of the contact line.

An investigation into the details of the incident is underway.

The parties to the Karabakh conflict agreed on a bilateral ceasefire along the contact line which came into force at midday, April 5.

Prior to that, 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.

As many as 36 Karabakh servicemen were killed and 122 were wounded in the course of military operations. 21 Karabakh soldiers have gone missing so far.

As of April 5, the Azerbaijani side has lost 26 tanks and 4 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 1 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, 1 engineering vehicle, 2 military helicopters and 11 unmanned aerial vehicles. The Azerbaijani side has admitted the loss of 31 fighters, 1 helicopter and 1 unmanned drones, whereas the Armenian side's photo and video materials show dozens of killed Azerbaijani troops, 1 helicopter and 3 UAVs.

14 Karabakh tanks have been neutralized since April 2.