Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Armenian armed forces fired the Azerbaijani divisions and the OSCE monitoring group members, who arrived in the contact line to monitor the ceasefire violations under the mandate of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Personal Representative, on January 23.

The Armenian side opened the fire after the completion of the monitoring on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops located to the north of the Fizuli-Horadiz road of Azerbaijan's Fizuli region, Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said.

The situation on the contact line between two countries remains tense as ceasefire violations on the frontline have increased in recent days.

Azerbaijan's defense ministry said Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire regime in various directions 138 times per day.

The Armenian armed forces fired on positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces located in the nameless heights and in the villages of Agdam, Agbulag and Alibayli in the Tovuz region, from positions in Berkaber village in the Ijevan region of Armenia, Mezemli and Gizilhajili villages in the Gazakh region of Azerbaijan and Chinari, Mosesgeh and Aygepar villages in Armenia's Berd region last night.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani positions were fired on from the nameless heights and positions located near Goradiz, Garakhanbayli, Gorgan, Ashagi Seidahmadli, Ashagi Veyselli, Ashagi Abdurrahmanli in the Fizuli region, Marzili, Yusifjanli, Bash Garvend, Shihlar, Shuraabad in the Agdam region, Chilaburt, Chayli, Gizil Oba, Geyarh of Tartar region, Tapgaragoyunlu village in the Goranboy region, Kuropatkino village in the Khojavand region and Mehtili village in the Jabrayil region.

The shooting was countered by return fire.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that had caused a lengthy war in the early 1990s.

The UN Security Council's four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal have not been enforced to this day.

Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the US and the OSCE Minsk Group are underway on the basis of a peaceful outline -called Madrid Principle -proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs. The negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.