Azeri army strengthening positions in besieged village – TV

Lider TV, Baku
17 Jun 04

Armenians have encircled the village of Mazam in Qazax District
[northwest Azerbaijan].

Reliable sources in Qazax District have told Lider TV that yesterday
the Armenian armed forces violated the cease-fire on the territory
of the district. Despite retaliatory fire, the Armenian armed forces
launched an offensive. They managed to block the roads leading to
the village.

This report has been confirmed by the head of the district executive
authorities, Asad Orucov. He said that there was an exchange of fire
outside the village of Mazam yesterday.

Qazax police chief Mohubbat Huseynov has told Lider TV that the
situation around the village remains tense. Representatives of the
National Security Ministry and the district executive authorities
are in the village now. The Azerbaijani army is strengthening its
positions, Mohubbat Huseynov said.

In the meantime, the Defence Ministry press service reports that
Armenian military units deployed 1,300m northeast of the village of
Berkaber in [Armenia’s] Idzhevan District fired from their positions
on occupied unnamed heights in Qazax District on the positions of
Azerbaijani troops deployed in the village of Qizil Hacili in Qazax
District on 16 June from 0910 to 0915 [0410-0415 gmt] and from 1955 to
2010 [1455-1510 gmt]. The enemy was silenced by retaliatory fire. There
were no casualties.