Three Troops Killed In Fresh Karabakh Clashes

THREE TROOPS KILLED IN FRESH KARABAKH CLASHES

Global Post
May 28 2014

At least three troops died in overnight clashes between Azerbaijani
troops and separatist forces of the Armenian-backed breakaway Nagorny
Karabakh region, officials in Baku and Karabakh said Wednesday.

The defence ministry in Baku said “a captain and a warrant officer of
the Azerbaijani armed forces were killed” in clashes on the Karabakh
frontline, while a private was injured.

The Karabakh defence ministry said in a statement: “Corporal Erik
Gasparian, 19, was killed in action in the southern sector of the
line of separation between Azerbaijani and Karabakh forces.”

There has been an increase in violence in recent months along the
Azerbaijan-Armenia border and at the Karabakh frontline, with both
sides regularly accusing the other of tit-for-tat raids. At least 11
soldiers from both sides have been killed.

Last year, around 20 soldiers from both sides were reportedly killed
in border shootouts.

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.

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