Karabakh troops thwart Azerbaijani subversive attack

April 2, 2016 - 13:19 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Nagorno Karabakh special forces on Saturday, April 2 identified an Azerbaijani subversive group near the Levonarkh settlement and threw the saboterus back to their positions.

According to Armenia’s Defense Ministry, the rival troops retreated after suffering several human losses.

Military operations are currently underway.

Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan said the Ministry is in constant communication with diplomatic representatives of foreign countries and international organizations to exchange information and consult on the situation on the line of contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

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.

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.