Azerbaijan announced that 12 of its soldiers were killed in clashes with Armenia, while the number of Armenian casualties, including dead and wounded, exceeded 100. Reports indicate heavy fighting between the two neighboring countries on Saturday, April 2, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Associated Press described this incident as the heaviest clash between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the end of the war between the two countries in 1994. On Saturday, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense issued a statement about the targeting and crash of one of its military helicopters. The statement also emphasized that the Azerbaijani army inflicted significant damage on Armenian forces, including targeting 6 tanks and 15 artillery positions. According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense, 12 of its soldiers were killed, while over 100 Armenian forces were also reported injured and killed. The Associated Press report states that Armenia has also claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on Azerbaijani forces, but officials from Armenia have not provided any statistics in this regard. In this context, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for an immediate ceasefire in the region and urged both sides to exercise restraint. The report also cites Russian media stating that the Russian foreign and defense ministers are attempting to calm the situation by contacting their Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts. However, both sides accuse each other of escalating tensions in the region. The Armenian Ministry of Defense claims that Azerbaijan attempted to attack Nagorno-Karabakh using military aircraft, tanks, and artillery, and thus Azerbaijani officials are responsible for the situation. Conversely, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense stated that it was the Armenian forces that initiated the clashes by firing high-caliber artillery. The mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, officially part of Azerbaijan, has been under the control of local Armenians and the Armenian army since 1994.
12 Azerbaijani Soldiers Killed in Clashes with Armenian Forces
Twelve Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in recent clashes with Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, marking the most severe fighting since 1994. Both sides report significant casualties, with over 100 Armenian soldiers also dead or wounded. This escalation has drawn calls for an immediate ceasefire from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Azerbaijan reported that 12 of its soldiers were killed in clashes with Armenian forces, with Armenia claiming over 100 casualties on their side. This incident marks the most severe fighting between the two nations since 1994.
- Heavy fighting occurred in the Nagorno-Karabakh region on April 2.
- Both sides accuse each other of initiating the conflict.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has roots in ethnic and territorial disputes dating back to the Soviet era, with a ceasefire established in 1994 but no formal peace treaty.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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