2 Armenian rebel troops killed in Karabakh: Separatists

YEREVAN (AFP) – Azerbaijani troops on Friday (March 25) killed two Armenian separatist fighters within the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh area, the breakaway territory’s authorities mentioned, accusing Baku of a ceasefire violation.

In 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a warfare over the long-contested enclave which claimed greater than 6,500 lives.

A Russian-brokered ceasefire noticed Yerevan cede swathes of territory, with Russia deploying a peacekeeping contingent to the mountainous enclave.

Armenia’s international ministry mentioned Azerbaijani troops on Thursday moved into the village of Parukh – which is beneath management of Russian peacekeepers – in what they mentioned was “a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement”.

The Karabakh separatists’ defence ministry mentioned “two soldiers of the defence army were killed by the enemy forces who opened fire from firearms and combat drones”. “The situation in the area remains tense,” the ministry mentioned, including that it hoped that “the Russian peacekeeping mission will be able to resolve the issue”.

Azerbaijan’s international ministry accused Armenia of “misleading the international community” over the scenario in Karabakh.

“Armenia is spreading disinformation,” the ministry mentioned, including that Azerbaijani forces had been finishing up work to “clarify” their positions on the bottom.

On Thursday, Armenia warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Karabakh after gasoline provides to the area had been lower off following restore work.

Yerevan has accused Baku of intentionally leaving Karabakh’s ethnic-Armenian inhabitants with out pure gasoline provides.

But Azerbaijan’s international ministry rejected the declare as “baseless”, saying that extreme climate circumstances have brought on the interruption of provides.

Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan because the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and the following battle claimed round 30,000 lives.