Russia Defense Minister talks Artsakh with Armenian, Azeri colleaguesApril 2, 2016 - 15:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu on Saturday, April 2 held telephone talks with his colleagues, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan and Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, Russian media report. In light of recent developments on the Nagorno Karabakh contact line, the Russian minister stressed the necessity for urgent measures to stabilize the situation in the conflict zone, the ministry’s press service said. The Ministry also said it is constantly monitoring the situation in the region. 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 settlement s 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 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. Read also:Azerbaijan used Grad rocket launcher to bomb Karabakh school: hospital Karabakh destroys one more Azeri helicopter, three tanks, two UAVs Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. 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. Partner news | Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. Ex-President: Only removal of “defeatist” rulers can save Armenia Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. |