Defense Ministry on Karabakh casualties: “This is war, not ceasefire” December 22, 2015 - 13:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The number of ceasefire violations on the contact line between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan has decreased, a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, December 22, A1+ reports. “Karabakh troops have registered some 10-20 ceasefire violations that are considered to be routine,” Artsrun Hovhannisyan told a press conference. According to the spokesperson, Azeri troops have mainly killed contract soldiers, and not conscripts, aiming to “exhaust our gold fund.” Dwelling upon the current situation on the contact line, Hovhannisyan said that escalation is usually conditioned by political motives. “The latter might result from the Presidential meeting, or some inner political developments in Azerbaijan, also perhaps targeting the Armenian society,” he said. Asked about the number of casualties on the Azerbaijani side, the spokesman said that the data will be carefully collected by year-end. “The only thing we know for sure is that the Azeri side has suffered over 200 casualties. The final number should be compiled from various sources,” the official noted. According to Hovhannisyan, Azerbaijan’s usage of tanks is not as dangerous as that of artillery. “Not usually deployed on the frontline, tanks are brought to the positions specially. An even more serious escalation was the use of the D-30 howitzer. Azerbaijan has already used every possible ammunition type, with the retaliation on Armenian side not necessarily made with the same weapons,” he noted. Commenting on the public's unwillingness to understand the reason behind casualties, Hovhannisyan said: “This is war, not ceasefire. In current state of affairs, the operational effectiveness is determined not by 1 or 2 casualties, but by disruption of the rival’s intentions." 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 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 | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |