Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian-backed army said on Thursday that Azerbaijani troops launched two failed commando raids on its frontline positions overnight in continuing violations of a Russian-brokered ceasefire along the Karabakh “line of contact.”
According to a statement by the Defense Army, one of those “sabotage attacks” occurred near the northern Karabakh village of Talish, one of the epicenters of heavy Armenian-Azerbaijani fighting that broke out on Saturday. It said the attackers were repelled “in close combat,” leaving behind the body of an Azerbaijani army captain killed by Karabakh Armenian soldiers.
The Defense Army released photographs of what it described as identity documents of the 36-year-old Azerbaijani officer. The latter was identified as Vaqif Bayramov.
“The incident shows that Azerbaijan not only fails to respect the ceasefire agreement reached the previous day but is systematically trying to destabilize the already volatile situation with provocative steps,” the charged the army statement. It also alleged “numerous” other Azerbaijani truce violations.
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the Armenians violated the cease-fire 119 times in the last 24 hours.
The ceasefire agreement was reached by Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s top army generals at a meeting in Moscow held on Tuesday. The intensity of hostilities along “the line of contact” appeared to have decreased significantly in the following hours.
Nevertheless, each warring side has since continued to accuse the other of shelling and shooting at its frontline positions. One Armenian soldier was killed near Talish on Wednesday evening by what the Karabakh army called Azerbaijani mortar fire.