Defense Ministry: Tensions rise on frontline, both sides sustain casualties
By Sara Rajabova
Major tension has been observed recently on the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.
"The situation on the contact line of troops has recently worsened. There is an intensive firefight on the frontline," Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu told Trend news agency on August 8.
"Armenian armed forces violate the ceasefire regime at the Line of Contact. Azerbaijani servicemen are giving due rebuff to the enemy. Currently the situation is that every day there is a skirmish and both sides sustain casualties and injuries," Sabiroglu said.
According to him, this is not happening for the first time and the Armenian side is seeking to use this for the purposes of provocation.
"Such events are systematic and are not associated specifically with any significant dates. Firefight occurs on the frontline all year round, sometimes becoming of an intensive nature. This means that the enemy, that is, the Armenians, are never in slumber. They violate the cease-fire and then try to blame the Azerbaijani armed forces for it, which is reflected in the reports submitted to international organizations," Sabiroglu said.
Besides, a person of Armenian descent got lost and crossed into the Azerbaijani side, the law enforcement agencies told Trend on August 8.
It is being determined whether the person who crossed over is a civilian or a serviceman. Azerbaijani officials are examining the reasons and circumstances of this development.
Secretary of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons Shahin Sailov confirmed this fact to Trend and added that additional information will be provided.
Also, in March, the Azerbaijani armed forces detained two Armenian citizens crossing the Line of Contact and the detainees were handed over to the state commission on POWs.
A precarious cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia was reached after a lengthy war that displaced over a million Azerbaijanis and has been in place between the two South Caucasus countries since 1994. Since the hostilities, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.