Karabakh Rejects Azeri Rumors on Ceasefire Violation

rejects-azeri-rumors-on-ceasefire-violation/
By Asbarez Staff on Feb 19th, 2010

STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources) – Military authorities in
Nagorno-Karabakh have denied violating a ceasefire following a
casualties report issued by Azerbaijan on Thursday. A spokesman said
Stepanakert remains committed to the agreed regime along the line of
contact with Azeri armed forces, reported RFE/RL.

The radio service’s Azeri Service quoted the country’s Defense
Ministry as confirming that three Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and
another soldier was wounded `after exchanging fire with Armenian armed
forces near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.’ The Azeri ministry
did not specify where the fighting took place, but a spokesman said
the Armenian side also suffered casualties.

Talking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service later on Friday, a
Nagorno-Karabakh military spokesman advised `searching for the causes
of the Azerbaijani soldiers’ deaths in the [low] morale of the
Azerbaijani armed forces.’ He did not comment on casualties alleged on
the Armenian side.

`The information spread by Azerbaijan once again does not correspond
to the reality,’ said Senor Hasratian, a press secretary for
Nagorno-Karabakh’s defense army.

Hasratian said the names of the soldiers published through the
Azerbaijani media suggested him that they were not ethnic
Azerbaijanis, which he claimed showed Baku’s `policies toward ethnic
minorities.’

Meanwhile, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Bako Sahakian visited
several military units of the Karabakh Defense Army located in the
central and south-east direction of the frontline.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the republic
listened to the reports of commanders motorized infantry subdivision
at combat duty, got acquainted with the activities aimed at
consolidating defense systems and awarded the best soldiers with
mementos.

Sahakian also observed military exercises of tank and motorized
infantry units, visited an infantry leadership and inspected on site
construction activities carried out there.

On the same day, Sahakian visited regional centre of Martuni and held
a working visit with regional authorities and heads of local
communities.