Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of having broken the armistice in and around the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Azerbaijan, four Azerbaijani soldiers have died in fighting in the region in recent weeks. The Armenian authorities claim on Sunday that six of their soldiers were injured in an Azerbaijani attack.
The Azerbaijani government claims that the skirmishes, which also injured two soldiers, took place in an area controlled by the Azeris as a result of the peace deal of 10 November. Before that, it would have been in the hands of ethnic Armenians.
The Ministry of Defence in Baku states that it conducted an operation on Friday and Saturday to destroy or expel the enemy forces responsible for the attack.
Armenia claims that it has thwarted several attempts by Azerbaijan to invade the territory of the ethnic Armenian rebel government of Nagorno-Karabakh. ‘The provocations of Azerbaijan have continued today’, says the Armenian Ministry of foreign affairs in a statement.
The Russian peacekeeping force in the conflict area has not reported large-scale fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, this weekend the Russians reported that there was one violation of the cease-fire.
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia agreed on a ceasefire at the beginning of November, ending weeks of conflict. Under these agreements, Armenia gives up parts of Nagorno-Karabakh. It will also return buffer zones around the enclave to Azerbaijan.
In return, Azerbaijan will leave a part of the enclave, which is mainly populated by Armenians, alone. This includes capital Stepanakert. Russia will send a peacekeeping force to maintain peace in the region.
About the author: Jeff Roper
Jeff Roper has been teaching journalism for more than five years. A theorist who nevertheless took up some practice. He is fond of the history of journalism and journalism.
