The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday (3 August) that one of its soldiers was killed earlier in the morning in the Lachin region by fire from elements of the self-styled Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army.
The deceased soldier was named as Anar Rustam Kazimov. The area of the incident lies within the mandate of the current Russian force that deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the 10 November 2020 trilateral declaration.
Tension is currently high in the Lachin region where different sides are giving different interpretations to the 10 November statement, particularly as regards the building of an alternative land route linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. Russian troops are reported to be on the ground but it is not clear what role they are currently playing.
A statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry later in the day said that “the bloody incident that took place on August 3 once again demonstrates that Armenia is grossly violating the Tripartite Agreement, and also undermines efforts to normalize relations between the two states. This is also an indicator of Armenia's disrespect for the efforts of international mediators. All responsibility for the incident on the territory of Azerbaijan lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia, which still does not withdraw its illegal armed formations from the territory of the neighbouring state. All necessary measures will continue to be taken to ensure the security of the territories and the integrity of the borders of Azerbaijan,” the statement says.
source: commonspace.eu with agencies
photo: An alternative route through Lachin connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia is currently under construction but is also a source of tension in the area.