Azerbaijan says soldier killed by Armenian forces

One Azerbaijani soldier was killed in an attack by Armenian forces on Thursday near the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense said.

"Thwarting another provocation of the enemy, soldier of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Rustam Ahmadov, was killed by the Armenian troops on the contact line," the ministry said in a statement.

"Despite the agreement on the cessation of military operations, the Armenian armed forces continue to escalate the situation along the front line," it said.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry also pointed out that "the responsibility for fatal provocations on the contact line falls squarely on the military and political leadership of Armenia."

"The retaliatory blow will be disastrous," it added.

Azerbaijan and Armenian armed forces on April 5 agreed on an immediate cease-fire after four days of fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter dispute over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988 when the enclave dominated by ethnic Armenians claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Armenians have controlled the mountainous enclave in Azerbaijan and adjacent territory since the 1990s.

Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a cease-fire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes.

Sporadic clashes between the two sides have thwarted international efforts, led by France, Russia and the United States, to end the dispute, which has killed about 30,000 people.

Source: XINHUA