Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Ignoring the ongoing peace talks on resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenian armed forces continue to escalate the tension on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops.

Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that violating the ceasefire regime on September 23, the Armenian armed forces shot dead the 19-year old soldier of the Azerbaijani Army, Keramet Shabiyev.

The enemy sniper shot and killed Shabiyev, while he was on duty. The criminal proceedings were instituted, and the military prosecutor's office conducts investigation.

The ministry further reported that Armenian armed forces, located near the villages of Gorgan, Ashagi Seyidahmedli of the Fizuli region, Bash Gervend of the Aghdam region and Kuropatkino of the Khojavend region, have once again violated the ceasefire over the last 24 hours with Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani positions were also fired on from the positions in the nameless heights of the Goranboy region.

Armenian armed forces have aggravated tensions along the frontline by attacking the Azerbaijani positions since early 2014.

For over two decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict which emerged over Armenia's territorial claims against 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. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since 1994, but long-standing efforts by U.S, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on its pullout from the neighboring country's territories.