Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Armenian armed forces have escalated tensions on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces by repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement between two sides.

The situation on the contact line remains tense as the Armenian armed forces shattered the ceasefire a total of 130 times within, Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry said on August 4.

The Armenian forces targeted the positions of Azerbaijani army in Tovuz, Gadabay, Aghdam, Gazakh, Tartar, Agstafa, Fuzuli and Jabrayil regions on August 3 and on the night of August 4. The enemy was forced to sit back with Azerbaijani army's retaliatory fire.

The Defense Ministry reported that the situation on the contact line is already under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Aircraft and helicopters of the Azerbaijani Air Force fly over the front line, a special correspondent of Trend news agency reported. The flights are carried out in the direction of Agdam and Tartar regions.

Over the last five days, Azerbaijani positions have come under attack constantly. At least 12 servicemen have been killed and several others wounded. Despite what is said by Armenian sources, they suffered more losses.

An Azerbaijani soldier named Anar Garazadeh who was seriously injured while fighting off an Armenian reconnaissance and sabotage group on Azerbaijani positions, died on August 4.

The defense minister signed a decree conferring posthumous Medal "For Distinction in Military Service" 3rd degree upon the servicemen who were killed in fighting against Armenian armed forces.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said provocative steps by the Armenian side caused a significant escalation of tensions along the frontline and resulted in numerous fatalities.

The Ministry blamed Armenia for aggravation of the situation, saying Yerevan, which initiated and ordered these provocative actions, bears full responsibility for the evolving dangerous situation.

It said the continued presence of Armenia's armed forces on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the greatest threat to the peace process. "Therefore, first and foremost, the armed forces of Armenia should withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The sooner Armenia realizes' this, the sooner region will restore peace, stability and predictability," the Ministry said.

The OSCE Minsk group, which mediates the peace talks between conflicting sides over 20 years, also voiced concern over outbreak of fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The Chairperson-in-Office and the Minsk Group co-chairs said they strongly condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians and shooting at representatives of international organizations and reminded the parties of their obligations under Geneva Conventions.

They appealed to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents to take immediate actions to defuse tensions and respect the ceasefire agreement. They also urged the presidents to resume negotiations as soon as possible on peaceful settlement of the conflict adding that talks are the only way to bring peace and genuine reconciliation to the peoples of the region.

Following the recent tension on the frontline, Armenia's Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan said on August 2, Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents will hold a meeting in Sochi on August 8-9.

The recent skirmish on the contact line has also sparked concerns among the regional countries. Russia, Georgia and Iran called on two sides to restraint from using of forces and take some measures to stabilize the situation.

Also, the U.S. expressed its concern about the escalation of violence on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

U.S. State Department's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said there can be no military solution to the conflict, adding retaliation and further violence will only make it more difficult to bring about a peaceful settlement.

The U.S. urged the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents to meet at the earliest opportunity to resume dialogue on key issues.

Harf said the U.S. remains committed to participating in the Minsk Group process and stand ready to help efforts to bring about a lasting settlement.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.