May 10, 2016 - 11:00 AMT
Karabakh working on new methods of fighting drones: Army chief

Heavy fighting in and around Nagorno Karabakh is unlikely to resume soon, a commander of Karabakh’s Defense Army said on Monday, May 9, RFE/RL Armenian Service reports.

“The tension [on the frontlines] will not rise,” Lieutenant-General Levon Mnatsakanyan told reporters in Stepanakert. “We have actually registered a decrease.”

Mnatsakanyan said the Azerbaijani army has adopted a defensive stance after launching offensive operations on April 2 at several sections of the line of contact with Karabakh.

“They are now organizing defense,” he said. “There is an atmosphere of fear on their side.”

“Our forces are now on high alert and will fight back if need be,” added the Defense Army chief.

The Karabakh army reported last week a build-up and active movements of enemy troops at various sections of the frontline. Armenia’s Defense Ministry likewise said that Baku deployed more troops and military hardware there.

Mnatsakanyan, however, downplayed the reported buildup, saying that his troops are prepared for any development.

Further commenting on the four-day military clashes in early April, Mnatsakanyan said the Armenian troops downed the Azerbaijani drones with firearms and machine guns.

“Also, several UAVs were destroyed with air defense systems,” he told an interview on Armenia TV.

According to the military chief, the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army is currently working on new anti-drone solutions. The new methods, as Mnatsakanyan says, will make the Armenian side’s objectives more resistant against the rival’s UAVs.