Defense Ministry refutes Armenian reports on losses of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry refuted reports spread by Armenia on active military clashes on contact line of troops on February 1.    

"Armenia's accusation of the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces of provocations allegedly committed on the contact line of troops on February 1 and losses suffered are a lie," the Defense Ministry said on February 2.

The ministry reiterated that no active military clashes happened on the front line.

Elnur Huseynzade, who was mentioned in the reports spread by Armenia, has regularly violated military discipline during his military service, didn't show up for service, therefore was discharged from the Armed Forces and currently is out of the military service.

Earlier, Armenian armed forces spread reports, claiming about captivation of a 22-year old soldier of Azerbaijani Army.

The ministry also said that the Armenian military units again violated the ceasefire on the contact line on February 1 by using automatic firearms and grenade launchers.

“Azerbaijani Sergeant Rauf Isayev got a bullet wound while preventing the provocation staged by the Armenian side,” said the Defense Ministry.

After emergency medical aid, Isayev’s condition is stable and there is no threat to his life.

“Necessary retaliatory measures will be taken to suppress such actions of Armenia,” said the Defense Ministry.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.