ARMENIAN TROOPS ‘KILLED IN CLASHES’
Aljazeera.net
September 10, 2009 Thursday
Qatar
Five Armenian soldiers have been killed in clashes with Azeri forces
in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to Azerbaijain
news agencies.
The Azeri Press Agency and Trend news agency said three soldiers were
also injured during a gun battle in the Agdam district near Karabakh.
But Azerbaijan’s defence ministry has not confirmed the reports,
while a spokesman for the Nagorno-Karabakh defence ministry dismissed
them as "Azeri propaganda".
The reported clashes come amid anger from Azerbaijan over moves
by Turkey and Armenia to re-open their shared border by the end of
the year.
Azerbaijan fears it may lose leverage over Armenia in the conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh if the border, closed since 1993, is reopened.
Armenian forces seized control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven
surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, in a war that
claimed an estimated 30,000 lives.
The two countries have cut direct economic and transport links and
failed to negotiate a settlement on the region’s status.
Agdam, where Thursday’s reported violence occured, is one of seven
Azeri districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh and is held by Armenian
forces.
Despite a ceasefire line in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, clashes
between forces on the frontline are common, with three Armenian
soldiers killed by Azerbaijan forces in January.
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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