Troops in disputed Caucasus enclave complete week of military exercises

AP Worldstream; Apr 20, 2006

Ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh wrapped up a week of
military exercises on Thursday in the disputed enclave’s annual
show of force toward Azerbaijan, which lost control of the enclave
following a war in the early 1990s.

About 1,500 soldiers took part in the exercises, which centered mainly
around the central Agdam region, about 375 kilometers (230 miles)
west of the Azerbaijani capital Baku, near the so-called line of
control that separates ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani forces.

The drills, which included forces repelling attacks by mock enemy
forces, were observed by the defense minister and chief of general
staff from Armenia, which has long provided military and economic
support for its brethren in the enclave.

Lt. Gen. Seigan Oganyan, commander of the enclave’s forces, made
clear to reporters that the training was intended to be a signal
to Azerbaijan.

“In the event of any demonstration of aggression by Azerbaijan, the
defense army of Nagorno-Karabakh will answer with adequate measures,”
Oganyan said.

Nagorno-Karabakh is inside Azerbaijan but is populated mostly by
ethnic Armenians. Clashes regularly break out between the two sides
and Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliev have traded increasingly bellicose statements since talks
to resolve the enclave’s status broke down in February.

At least 30,000 people have been killed and 1 million made refugees
during six years of open conflict that ended with a cease fire in 1994.

The lack of final resolution over the enclave’s status has long tied
up investment in the strategic, oil-rich Caucasus region.