Armenia again breaks ceasefire, uses mortars

Over the past 24 hours, Armenia’s armed forces have 128 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said July 4.

Armenians were using 60-mm mortars.

The Azerbaijani army positions in the Kamarli, Gaymagli and Farahli villages of the Gazakh district underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in the Shavarshavan village and on nameless heights of the Noyemberyan district of Armenia.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani army positions in the Aghdam and Kokhanabi villages of the Tovuz district of Azerbaijan were shelled from the Armenian army positions located in the Chinari, Mosesgekh villages of the Berd district of Armenia.

The Azerbaijani army positions in the Zamanli village of Azerbaijan’s Gadabay district also underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located on nameless heights of the Krasnoselsk district of Armenia.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani army positions were shelled from the Armenian positions located near the Armenian-occupied Goyarkh, Chilaburt villages of the Tartar district, Shuraabad, Bash Garvand, Javahirli, Garagashli, Shirvanli, Sarijali, Novruzlu, Marzili villages of the Aghdam district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, Ashagi Veysalli, Gobu Dilagharda, Garvand, Garakhanbayli, Gorgan, Kurdlar, Horadiz villages of the Fuzuli district, Mehdili village of the Jabrayil district, as well as from the positions located on nameless heights of the Goranboy, Tartar, Aghdam, Khojavand and Fuzuli districts of Azerbaijan.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.