AZERBAIJAN ‘CAPTURE’ ARMENIAN SPY AFTER FAILED RAID
Agence France Presse —
January 29, 2014 Wednesday 8:12 AM GMT
BAKU, Jan 29 2014
Azerbaijani forces say they have captured an Armenian spy following
the latest in a series of tit-for-tat raids along the volatile frontier
between the two arch-foes.
“There was an attempt by an Armenian reconnaissance and sabotage group
to cross the border in the Tovuz region (northwestern Azerbaijan)
on January 28,” the defence ministry in Baku said in a statement
released late Tuesday.
“After a short exchange of fire the group retreated. Azerbaijani
troops captured the leader of the group, Mamiko Khojayan, who was
armed and wounded,” the statement said.
The latest clash comes amid an uptick in violence over the disputed
territory of Nagorny Karabakh that has seen at least two Azerbaijani
soldiers and one combattant from the separatist region killed over
the past 10 days.
Both sides have also accused each other of launching failed
cross-border raids along the conflict-ridden frontline over the
same period.
Armenia-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in
a 1990s war that killed 30,000 people. Despite years of negotiations
since a 1994 ceasefire, the two sides have yet to sign a peace deal.
Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the disputed region by force
if negotiations do not yield results, while Armenia has vowed to
retaliate against any military action.
Around 20 soldiers from both sides were reportedly killed last year.
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