Deutsche Welle (English edition)
Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan discloses troop deaths despite ceasefire
Azerbaijan said four of its soldiers were killed, accusing Armenian-backed separatists of an ambush. It would be the first deaths reported during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict's ceasefire.
Armenia and Azerbaijanblamed each other on Sunday for breaking the terms of a ceasefire in the disputed NagornoKarabakh region.
The Azeri government said four of its troops had been killed in Nagorno-Karabakh after a group of Armenian fighters ambushed its forces on November 26.
The deaths are the first to be reported during the conflict's ceasefire, which has lasted more than a month.
For its part, Armenia said that six separatist fighters were injured in clashes with Azerbaijan's troops after skirmishes broke out on Friday evening.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted in September with clashes between Azerbaijan and separatists backed by Armenia
over the mountainous region.
Fighting supposedly ceased on November 10,thanks toa Russia-brokered peace deal that saw theArmenians cede parts of its territory.
More than 5,000 people including civilians were killed during the fighting between the ex-Soviet rivals, who had pre
viously gone to war in the 1990s over the mountainous region.
Russia has deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers to the troubled region for at least five years, to monitor the peace deal and to facilitate the return of refugees.
Moscow confirms ceasefire violation
Responding to Armenian accusations, the Baku government said the clashes over the weekendhad taken place in an area that fellunder its control, while its forces carried out a military operationagainst enemy forces responsible for the deadlyattacks on Azeriservicemen.
But Armeniasaid its forces we simply repelling attemptedintrusions by Azerbaijan's forces into territories supposed to remain under the controlof the rebel province'sgovernment.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry said Russian forces were not present in the area where the clashes broke out.
Azerbaijan's State Security Service shot back, sayin g" u n fou n dedaccu s ation s against the Azeri side and the Russian peacekeepersby some Armenian leaders and media" were unacceptable.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported that the ceasefire had been violated for the first time, but it stayed silent on assigning blame.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev warned that Armenia ''shouldn't try to start it all over again.''
''It must be very cautious and not plan any military action. This time, we will fully destroy them. It mustn't be a secret to anyone," Aliyev said.
jcg/rc (Reuters, AP, AFP)