Associated Press Worldstream
September 28, 2006 Thursday 11:03 AM GMT

Officials: 7 Azerbaijani soldiers wounded in mine blast near disputed
territory

A mine blast near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory wounded
seven Azerbaijani soldiers, officials said Thursday.

The explosion occurred in the Agdam region not far from the so-called
line of control separating Azerbaijani and Karabakh forces, federal
de-mining agency spokeswoman Sabina Jalalova told The Associated
Press. She said she could not immediately provide further details.

The Defense Ministry could not be immediately reached for comment.

Local television channels reported the blast took place Wednesday
night and the soldiers have been hospitalized.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous territory inside Azerbaijan, but it
has been controlled along with some surrounding areas by Karabakh and
Armenian forces since 1994. A shaky cease-fire in 1994 ended the
six-year conflict, in which 30,000 people were killed and about 1
million driven from their homes.

The lack of resolution over Nagorno-Karabakh’s final status has
hampered development in the strategic South Caucasus region.