BAKU, Azerbaijan (AA) – An Azerbaijani soldier was martyred in fighting with ethnic Armenian forces near the occupied Karabakh border on Sunday, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.
He was shot by ethnic Armenian troops on the frontline between Azerbaijan and the enclave, which was taken over by Armenian militias in 1993.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry accused Armenian forces of violating a cease-fire set up last month after an escalation in clashes.
Occupied Karabakh is recognized as Azerbaijani territory by the international community but was taken over by Armenian secessionists as the Soviet Union broke up in the late 1980s.
Despite a 1994 peace deal, border skirmishes are a frequent occurrence. At the beginning of last month, these escalated into the worst outbreak of fighting since the war, resulting in the deaths of more than 270 military personnel.
