Karabakh Ministry refutes Azeri reports of Armenian soldier capture

Karabakh Ministry refutes Azeri reports of Armenian soldier capture

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Nagorno Karabakh Defence Ministry refuted Azeri reports claiming an infiltration was attempted on Armenian side on the morning of Dec 27, with serviceman Arsen Baghdasaryan taken hostage.

“The statement of Azerbaijani Defense Ministry about a cross-border incursion attempt by Karabakh forces in the Aghdam direction is disinformation,” Panorama.am said quoting the press service of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Ministry.

“As regards the information that Arsen Baghdasaryan was taken captive, the NKR Defense Army reports that this person, being a contract serviceman of the Defense Army, used to regularly desert the place of his permanent military deployment, for which he was temporarily expelled from military service.

“Details of the incident are being specified,” says the statement.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

 Top stories
The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, have arrived in Washington.
The CSTO budget for the current year requires adjustments due to the refusal of Yerevan to pay their share of contributions.
Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance.
The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says.
Partner news
---