ARMENIAN TROOPS ‘KILLED IN CLASHES’

Aljazeera.net
September 10, 2009 Thursday
Qatar

Five Armenian soldiers have been killed in clashes with Azeri forces
in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to Azerbaijain
news agencies.

The Azeri Press Agency and Trend news agency said three soldiers were
also injured during a gun battle in the Agdam district near Karabakh.

But Azerbaijan’s defence ministry has not confirmed the reports,
while a spokesman for the Nagorno-Karabakh defence ministry dismissed
them as "Azeri propaganda".

The reported clashes come amid anger from Azerbaijan over moves
by Turkey and Armenia to re-open their shared border by the end of
the year.

Azerbaijan fears it may lose leverage over Armenia in the conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh if the border, closed since 1993, is reopened.

Armenian forces seized control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven
surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, in a war that
claimed an estimated 30,000 lives.

The two countries have cut direct economic and transport links and
failed to negotiate a settlement on the region’s status.

Agdam, where Thursday’s reported violence occured, is one of seven
Azeri districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh and is held by Armenian
forces.

Despite a ceasefire line in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, clashes
between forces on the frontline are common, with three Armenian
soldiers killed by Azerbaijan forces in January.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress