BAKU: Thirteen Years Pass Since Azerbaijan-Armenia Ceasefire

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 11 2007

Thirteen Years Pass Since Azerbaijan-Armenia Ceasefire

Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr E. Huseynli / Major in reserve Alakbar
Mammamdov, the director of the Azerbaijani Centre for Democratic
Civil Control over Armed Forces, reported on 11 May that so far over
5,000 soldiers and officers of the National Army of Azerbaijan have
been killed since the signing of the ceasefire agreement between
Azerbaijan and Armenia in 1994. According to Mammadov, the most death
cases were caused by the breaking of the ceasefire, burst of mines
and other reasons. Over 2,000 soldiers and officers were killed from
1995-2000 and over 500 since 2000.

Military expert Uzeyir Jafarov reported that over 1,000 Azerbaijani
civilians residing in border territories died during the period of
ceasefire. Eldar Sabiroghlu, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Defence
Ministry, reported that despite the ceasefire Armenian armed forces
had been regularly violating the regime. He did not tell the exact
number of the victims.

A source at the National Agency on Mines Liquidation said that they
neutralized 216,565 mines from 47,882,491 sq m. Some 53 people have
died due to 86 mine explosions and 122 have been injured since 2001.

The ceasefire agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia was signed in
Bishkek city on 12 May, 1994.