Category: 2023

Soldiers killed in Armenia, Azerbaijan firefight

Edgar Tavakalian

Australia –

South Caucasus rivals Armenia and Azerbaijan have accused each other of opening fire around the contested Nagorno-Karabkah region in a clash that killed a total of seven soldiers.

The two neighbours – both formerly part of the Soviet Union – have fought repeatedly over the last 35 years for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but home to a mainly ethnic Armenian population.

The Azeri defence ministry said three troops had died in a clash close to the contested Lachin Corridor, a key road into Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia that crosses through Azeri territory.

The Armenian defence ministry said four of its soldiers had died and another six had been wounded.

Armenia had earlier accused Azerbaijan of opening fire on Armenian troops performing engineering work near the village of Tegh in Armenia's southern Syunik province.

It said its forces had taken "countermeasures," without providing details.

Tegh is the last village on the Lachin Corridor in Armenia before it enters Azeri territory.

Azerbaijan said its troops came under "intense fire" from Armenian troops stationed in Syunik province.

Russia dispatched a thousands-strong peacekeeping contingent to the region in 2020 as part of a deal to end weeks of fighting that killed thousands and resulted in Azerbaijan making significant territorial gains.

Russia is an ally of Armenia through a mutual self-defence pact but also strives for good relations with Azerbaijan.

The latest stand-off between the two bitter rivals has come over control of the Lachin Corridor – the only road route linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijanis claiming to be environmental protesters have been blocking the route since the end of last year, resulting in what Armenia has called a humanitarian crisis as food and medicine have been unable to be transported into the region.

Azerbaijan denies those claims, saying essential supplies can get into the territory and has defended the protesters as rallying against legitimate environmental concerns.

Armenia has called them government-backed agitators.

Australian Associated Press


https://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/8155496/soldiers-killed-in-armenia-azerbaijan-firefight/

Caucasus tensions pour in no one’s interest: Iran NSC chief

John Hovhannisian
  • By Al Mayadeen English 
  • Source: Agencies
  • Today 00:12

The head of the Iranian National Security Council underlines that tensions flaring up in the Caucasus region would benefit no one involved.

Conflicts and tensions in the Caucasus area would not be in any nation's best interests, Iranian Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Shamkhani said, underlining his country's opposition to geographic changes in the region.

"Any geographical change in the South Caucasus region is a tension-building measure, which will play into the hands of the enemies of regional security and stability," he said, Iranian news agency Press TV reported.

Shamkhani stressed that dialogue and interaction needed to replace any "hard approach" aimed at curbing regional issues.

Furthermore, he added that the region in question was undergoing a sensitive period, hoping that Azerbaijan and Armenia would be able to resolve existing tensions by restraining themselves.

"[Maintaining] good-neighborly relations and making a joint endeavor for the settlement of the regional challenges through peaceful means are among the Islamic Republic's most important pieces of advice to all [regional] parties," Shamkhani underlined.

He also highlighted that the development of cooperation and interaction with neighbors was part of Iran's foreign policy, saying it was a priority for the incumbent Iranian administration of President Ebrahim Raisi.

Shamkani's words came during a meeting with Armenian Security Council chief Armen Grigoryan.

The top security official said Iran played an "important role" in the development of relations among the countries of the South Caucasus, as well as the protection of regional security.

He also praised Iran's "very effective" role in the realization of regional peace and stability, stressing that dialogue and interaction among regional states were the only way of resolving the existing regional crises and exacerbating tensions.

In September 2020, the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan resurfaced. The parties attempted multiple truces before signing a trilateral Moscow-brokered agreement in November of that year, which enjoined a ceasefire and the exchange of captives.

After a meeting of Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders in January 2021, the trilateral working group was formed to support the revival and building of new transport infrastructure facilities required for the organization of international transit between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The two countries agreed to a complete ceasefire and exchange of prisoners, while Russia deployed peacekeepers to the region.

However, clashes erupt every now and then between both sides despite the Russian-backed ceasefire agreement.

The latest hike in tensions was in late March, with the Armenian foreign ministry accusing Baku of preparing an escalation against Armenia via the use of an "aggressive rhetoric" aimed at undermining existing agreements between both countries. 

AFP: Armenia, Azerbaijan Say 7 Troops Killed In Border Shootout

Albert Nalbandian
BARRON'S
  • FROM AFP NEWS
By AFP – Agence France Presse

Azerbaijan and Armenia said Tuesday seven servicemen died in a shootout along their shared border, the latest escalation between the arch-foes locked in a decades-long territorial dispute.

The two ex-Soviet Caucasus nations have fought two wars over Azerbaijan's Armenian-majority region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the latest hostilities ended in 2020 with a Russian-brokered ceasefire.

"Armenian army positions deployed near the settlement of Dyg (at the two countries' shared border) opened heavy fire at Azerbaijani army positions," the defence ministry in Baku said in a statement, adding that Azerbaijani troops "have returned fire".

A few hours later, it said three servicemen were killed in the clashes.

The Armenian defence ministry reported four dead and six wounded.

It had blamed Baku for initiating the shootout.

"At 16:00 (1200 GMT) on Tuesday, Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire in the direction of Armenian servicemen who were conducting engineering works" near the border, the ministry said.

Under a Russian-mediated ceasefire agreement in autumn 2020, Armenia ceded swathes of territory it had controlled for decades, and Moscow deployed peacekeepers to oversee the fragile truce.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have held several rounds of peace talks mediated by the European Union and the United States.

Last month, Pashinyan noted some progress in the peace process, but said "fundamental problems" remain because "Azerbaijan is trying to put forward territorial claims, which is a red line to Armenia".

In February, the European Union deployed an expanded monitoring mission to the Armenian side of the border as Western engagement grows in a region that is traditionally the Kremlin's sphere of influence.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatists in Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan. The ensuing conflict claimed some 30,000 lives.

eg-mkh-im-brw/giv

‘Lost’ Azerbaijani soldier detained in Armenia

Karlen Baghdasarian
 

ByAni AvetisyanandIsmi Aghayev

Armenia has detained an Azerbaijani soldier 14 kilometres within the country’s borders, with Azerbaijan later announcing that two soldiers had got lost on the Nakhchivan border.

On Monday, Armenia said they had detained one Azerbaijani soldier in the early hours of the morning. Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry told local media soon after that two soldiers had lost their way due to low visibility the previous Friday. 

Residents of the village of Ashotavan, 14 kilometres from the Azerbaijani border in Syunik Province, told local media that they had detained the solder and handed him over to police. 

Residents of the nearby village of Bnunis also told local media that the two Azerbaijanis were seen in their village on Sunday night, but were not captured. The two reportedly knocked on the door of a house during the night wearing masks. 

No information has been provided regarding the whereabouts of the second soldier, but Yerevan has announced that search operations are underway. 

Armenian civic groups have raised concerns about the soldiers crossing the border and appearing a significant distance within Armenia. 

Artur Sakunts from the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor told RFE/RL that the National Security service needed to explain how ‘even one person’ could cross the border unnoticed. 

A video shared on social media appeared to show one of the soldiers in civilian clothing speaking to people in Ashotavan. 

‘For three days I have been sleeping in the grass, I have been sleeping on the ground’, the soldier says in Azerbaijani. ‘For three days I have not eaten or drunk water.’

The two villages where the Azerbaijanis were seen are around 14 kilometres from the border, with the likely route and the area’s mountainous terrain making the path from the border to the villages significantly longer.

Residents of both villages said the incident raised concerns about their safety, calling for the deployment of security forces in the area. 

Residents also expressed doubt about the official narratives, with some suggesting that there might be more than two Azerbaijani soldiers who entered Armenia. 

Others questioned the idea that the soldiers had got lost, suggesting that if they had become lost, the soldiers would have attempted to return to Azerbaijan rather than continuing further into Armenia.

One resident of Bnunis told local media that security cameras had captured footage of a third Azerbaijani soldier. 

The National Security Service has not yet commented on the incident or the questions raised by residents.


4 Armenian, 3 Azerbaijani soldiers killed in Tue. clashes

Ani Kharatian
MEHR News Agency
Iran –

TEHRAN, Apr. 11 (MNA) – Four Armenians and three Azerbaijanis were killed in clashes between the border guards of the two countries on Tuesday.

Four Armenian soldiers have been killed and six others wounded, Armenia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement while putting the blame on the Azeri side for the provocation. 

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan said in a statement that three Azerbaijani servicemen were killed in the Tuesday clashes with the Armenian side, while putting the blame on the Armenian side for initiating the clashes.

“As of 8:30 p.m., the situation on the frontline is relatively stable. In case of any change in the situation, the Ministry of Defense will issue a statement,” read a statement issued by Armenia's  Ministry of Defense.

On the other hand, the Azerbaijani side's ministry said "On April 11, at about 16:20 (GMT +4), units of the Armenian armed forces from positions in the direction of Digh settlement of Goris district, subjected to intensive fire from various weapons on the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the Lachin direction.”

MNA

‘Grossest violation of human rights’ — Ombudswoman on operation of US biolabs

Hovsep Chakrian
 TASS 
Russia –
It is emphasized that to date, there hasn’t been a proper reaction from the international community and international human rights structures to the US’ bioaggression, even as it also unfolds in Armenia, Georgia and other countries

MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. The operation of US biological laboratories on Ukrainian soil is the grossest violation of human rights and runs counter to international treaties, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova said.

"The US creating laboratories on Ukrainian soil to test biological agents, actually deploying biological weapons, is the grossest, most shameless and large-scale violation of human rights; it effectively destroys the very notion of human value, the value of human life and well-being," she said at a plenary session of the State Duma on Tuesday where the final report of the parliamentary panel looking into the work of US biolabs in Ukraine was presented.

According to the ombudswoman, such actions grossly contradict the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Biological Weapons Convention and other international acts. "We realize that Ukraine is a border state and inevitably such actions will affect the lives and well-being of Russian citizens. Moreover, this is a real threat to all of mankind," she added.

Moskalkova emphasized that to date, there hasn’t been a proper reaction from the international community and international human rights structures to the US’ bioaggression, even as it also unfolds in Armenia, Georgia and other countries. "I support [the report on the operation of US biological laboratories in Ukraine] and ask to continue measures on [ensuring] biosecurity, expand the geography of the investigation and insist on creating an international commission to investigate the operations of such biolabs," she concluded.

Russia, Armenia reiterate commitment to strengthening security in Eurasia

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
 TASS 
Russia –
The diplomats exchanged views on the problems of the Asia Pacific region and bilateral relations with individual states in the region

MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. Russia and Armenia reiterate their commitment to strengthening security in Eurasia and preventing the subversion of cooperation, the Russian foreign ministry said on Tuesday after consultations between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

"The sides discussed a wide spectrum of issues of cooperation within multilateral formats with a focus on cooperation in the Eurasian Economic Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. They reiterated their commitment to consolidating efforts to strengthen security and stability in the Eurasian space, and to avoid undermining the effectiveness of mechanisms aimed at inclusive and mutually beneficial practical cooperation," the ministry said.

The diplomats exchanged views on the problems of the Asia Pacific region and bilateral relations with individual states in the region.

Apart from that, they discussed the situation in the South Caucasus, including steps taken by the countries of the region to promote the normalization of the situation and the resumption of economic and transport ties.

Armenia reports 4 killed, 6 wounded in clashes with Azerbaijani troops

Emil Lazarian
 TASS 
Russia –
The Azerbaijani side also has many killed and wounded

YEREVAN, April 11. /TASS/. Four Armenian soldiers were killed and six more were wounded in clashes with the Azerbaijani side near the village of Tekh in Armenia’s Syunik Region, the Armenian defense ministry said on Tuesday.

"As a result of an Azerbaijani provocation, four Armenian soldiers were killed and six were wounded. The Azerbaijani side has many killed and wounded. As of 8:30 local time (7:30 Moscow time – TASS), the situation on the frontline is relatively stable," it said.

The ministry released a video featuring Azerbaijani soldiers approaching Armenian servicemen engaged in engineering works and opening gunfire at them.

Intensity of fire between Armenian, Azerbaijani forces decreased — Defense Ministry

Emil Lazarian
 TASS 
Russia –
The Armenian Defense Ministry also stated that reports of Azerbaijani media claiming that Armenia uses Iranian-made drones are false

YEREVAN, April 11. /TASS/. The intensity of fire between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the Syunik Region has decreased, the Armenian Defense Ministry reported Tuesday evening.

"As for 19:00 [local time] the skirmish intensity has decreased significantly. Rumors of fire towards Vardenis are false," the Ministry noted.

The Defense Ministry also stated that reports of Azerbaijani media claiming that Armenia uses Iranian-made drones are false.

"There are no Iranian drones in the Armenian Armed Forces," the Ministry said.

Video shows how Azerbaijani soldiers approach and open fire at Armenian soldiers

Meline Chalian
NEWS.am
Armenia –

Armenia’s Ministry of Defense has published a video footage that shows how Azerbaijani soldiers approach and then open fire at the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Armenia who were carrying out engineering works in the vicinities of Tegh village in Syunik province.

Earlier the ministry said that four Armenian soldiers were killed and six others wounded because of the Azerbaijani provocation on Tuesday. The ministry also said the Azerbaijani side in turn had many casualties and wounded.

According to Armenia’s Ministry of Defense, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces also used mortars.

As of 8:30 p.m., the situation on the frontline is relatively stable.

https://news.am/eng/news/754293.html

Watch the video at the link above.