Armenia, Azerbaijan Mutual Accusation for Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire Violations. Armenia has accused Baku of violating a cease-fire agreement in the conflict over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani MFA press service said that, “The Government of Azerbaijan and the peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation are taking all necessary measures to maintain peace in accordance with the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 10“.
“Official Yerevan’s claims against Azerbaijan are baseless and unacceptable. Thus, the provocative activity was committed by the remnants of the Armenian armed forces. In their turn, the Government of Azerbaijan and the peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation are taking all necessary measures to maintain peace in accordance with the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 10”, report Azerbaijani MFA press service.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry said Azerbaijani forces attacked positions held by ethnic Armenian forces, the so-called Karabakh Defense Army, in Nagorno-Karabakh in the southern Hadrut district on December 12.
On the other hand Azerbaijani defense officials say four soldiers have been killed since a cease-fire last month ended large-scale clashes with ethnic Armenian forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The Defense Ministry statement on December 13 gave few details as to when or where the deaths took place, saying only they occurred in an area that Azerbaijani forces took control of in the fighting that formally ended on November 10.
Information of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan
In recent days, the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been conducting an anti-terrorist operation against the terrorist and sabotage actions of the Armenian armed forces remaining in the forest area around the Hadrut settlement of the Khojavend region of Azerbaijan.
These territories were recently liberated from long-term Armenian occupation by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan. A joint statement issued by the State Security Service and the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan on December 13, 2020 provided detailed information on the issue.
Official Yerevan’s claims against Azerbaijan are baseless and unacceptable. Thus, the provocative activity was committed by the remnants of the Armenian armed forces. In their turn, the Government of Azerbaijan and the peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation are taking all necessary measures to maintain peace in accordance with the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 10.
We would like to remind that the Statement adopted as a result of great efforts envisages a complete ceasefire and the cessation of all military operations. We call on Armenia to strictly adhere to the requirements of the trilateral statement and to refrain from destructive activities that could impede its implementation.
Azerbaijan, acting within the framework of joint cooperation with Russian peacekeepers, will take appropriate measures to ensure peace and security in the region, the statement said.
Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, but the territory and some surrounding areas have been controlled by ethnic Armenian forces since the early 1990s.
The two sides have skirmished regularly over the years, but in September, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive that resulted in Baku regaining control of the surrounding districts, and much of Nagorno-Karabakh itself.
The sides agreed to a Russian-brokered cease-fire in early November, resulting in in the deployment of 2,000 Russian peacekeeping forces to the conflict zone.
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