STEPANAKERT (RFE/RL)–An Armenian soldier has been shot dead in continuing truce violations at the Nagorno-Karabakh “line of contact,” military authorities in Stepanakert said on Friday.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s Defense Army said the soldier, Hovik Sukiasian, was killed on Thursday morning in an “intensive shootout” provoked by Azerbaijani forces deployed southeast of the disputed territory.
“According to preliminary data, Azerbaijani troops suffered much bigger casualties as a result of the shootout,” the Karabakh army said in a statement. Its spokesman, Senor Hasratian, could not give further details when contacted by RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry also accused the Azerbaijani military of provoking the incident. “This incident once again shows that Azerbaijan’s authorities either do not control the frontline behavior of their armed forces or themselves organize such provocations,” ministry spokesman Davit Karapetian charged.
But a spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, Teymur Abdullayev, dismissed these claims. He was quoted by the Trend news agency as insisting that no Azerbaijani servicemen were hurt in the area adjacent to Iran.
Abdullayev also said a 35-year-old Azerbaijani officer, Shamil Sadygov, was wounded in the legs by Karabakh forces on Thursday at another frontline section located northeast of Karabakh. An Azerbaijani soldier was reportedly shot dead in the same area on Monday.
Deadly skirmishes along the line of contact appear to have become more frequent over the past year amid a lack of decisive progress in Armenian-Azerbaijani progress and Baku’s regular threats to solve the conflict by force. Some analysts regard this as an indication of a growing likelihood of another Armenian-Azerbaijani war.
They kill our soldiers every week. These fat generals hide real numbers from society but relatives of soldiers in Artsakh know everything
Don’t you dare disrespect any man who puts on the uniform to defend his country, like those “fat” generals, while you sit comfortably behind your computer calling them names and criticizing what you obviously do not understand. All those generals didn’t get there by gulping on burgers, they served their dues in the war twenty years ago. Yes, soldiers die on both sides, and yes there is a propagandist aspect involved. That is the unfortunate reality of our current situation. But nobody is hiding numbers for some hidden agenda that I’m sure you’ll devise given the chance, and somehow involve “Serjik and his cohorts” as the culprits. Not everything gets reported, that is the nature of warfare. It is and must be secretive. Not that I am supporting your notion of “fat generals” hiding real numbers, which does happen sometimes when it is necessary to conceal certain defensive weak points from the enemy. Would you like them to announce “Seven soldiers killed in so and so outpost, this portion of the border is very badly protected now and can be an easy entry point and you’re welcome to deal even more casualties while we work on the problems.” Don’t be an idiot. You sound like the Azeri media, which reports one death per ten, calling Armenia a liar. People like you disgust me. You never have anything constructive to say, just spew out hatred. If you are going to badmouth the Armenian government, fine, but leave the military alone. If they didn’t care Kharabakh would be overrun by Azeris right now. I wonder when another war breaks out, are you going to let your sons (I assume you’re a woman from your name) or father or brother leave their life to defend the motherland? I highly doubt, so please do not insult those who do make that sacrifice.
dont be so harsh, for all you know she herself could make a great gamavor fedayi. i can see some of her fustration tho, the armenian government hasnt been pulling up its boot straps..russian culture has seeped into our country..that needs to end
people shouldnt have ANY reservations about whats going on…there is going to be a war. so all armenians including in the diaspora, should prepare to donate all kinds of goods, flour, food, and volunteers.
russia wont intervene, neither will the west, we are on our own!