Defense Ministry refutes Armenian reports on losses of Azerbaijani Armed Forces
By Rashid Shirinov
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry refuted reports spread by Armenia on active military clashes on contact line of troops on February 1.
"Armenia's accusation of the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces of provocations allegedly committed on the contact line of troops on February 1 and losses suffered are a lie," the Defense Ministry said on February 2.
The ministry reiterated that no active military clashes happened on the front line.
Elnur Huseynzade, who was mentioned in the reports spread by Armenia, was discharged from the Armed Forces and currently is out of the military service.
Earlier, Armenian armed forces spread reports, claiming about captivation of a 22-year old soldier of Azerbaijani Army.
The ministry also said that the Armenian military units again violated the ceasefire on the contact line on February 1 by using automatic firearms and grenade launchers.
“Azerbaijani Sergeant Rauf Isayev got a bullet wound while preventing the provocation staged by the Armenian side,” said the Defense Ministry.
After emergency medical aid, Isayev’s condition is stable and there is no threat to his life.
“Necessary retaliatory measures will be taken to suppress such actions of Armenia,” said the Defense Ministry.
Azerbaijan's State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, in turn, told Trend that relevant international organizations had been informed about the detention of the citizen Elnur Huseynzade by the Armenian Armed Forces in the direction of Talysh village. The Commission added that necessary measures are being taken for his release.
Spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Baku mission Ilaha Huseynova, in turn, told APA that the Committee closely monitors reports in connection with the issue in the media. She noted that if the information is confirmed, the ICRC, in accordance with its mandate, is ready to visit the Azerbaijani citizen for monitoring conditions of detention and treatment, and to create an opportunity for his communication with family.
Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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