ARMENIAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN CLASHES WITH AZERBAIJANI TROOPS NEAR KARABAKH
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 20 2015
March 19, 2015, Thursday/ 16:42:15/ TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES / ISTANBUL
At least three Armenian soldiers were killed and four wounded
in clashes with troops from Azerbaijan on Thursday near the
Nagorno-karabakh region, but the two sides have given conflicting
death tolls and disputed who was to blame.
Nagorno-Karabakh lies inside Azerbaijan but is controlled by its
majority population of ethnic Armenians who are supported by the
Armenian Republic in several facets, after the separatist region was
occupied by Armenian forces who fought a war over it in the early
1990s. The region is a regular point of friction between Armenia
and Azerbaijan.
Renewed violence this year along the border area has underlined the
risk of a wider conflict breaking out in the South Caucasus, which
is crossed by oil and gas pipelines.
The separatist region’s defense ministry said in a statement that
three Armenian soldiers had died after Azerbaijani commandos attacked
their position. “The Armenian side forced the enemy to escape after
a two-hour clash,” the statement said. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry
accused separatists of triggering the confrontation and said 20
Armenian soldiers had been killed or wounded.
Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh erupted in 1991 as the Soviet Union
broke up, with some 30,000 people dying in the war before a ceasefire
was called in 1994. Attempts at securing a lasting peace settlement
have failed, despite mediation led by France, Russia and the United
States.
Nagorno-Karabakh has run its own affairs with heavy military and
financial backing from Armenia since 1994. Armenian-backed forces
also hold seven Azerbaijani districts surrounding the region.
Oil-producing Azerbaijan, host to global giants including BP, Chevron
and ExxonMobil, frequently threatens to take the mountain region back
by force, and is spending heavily on its armed forces.
Armenia, an ally of Russia, says it would not stand by idly if
Nagorno-Karabakh were attacked.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
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