Karabakh Army Reports Seven Azerbaijani Soldiers Killed in ‘Preemptive’ Raids

STEPANAKERT — Nagorno-Karabakh’s armed forces on Friday claimed to have killed seven Azerbaijani soldiers in two overnight commando raids which were aimed at thwarting fresh Azerbaijani ceasefire violations along “the line of contact.”

In a statement, the Karabakh Defense Army said its forces undertook preventive measures in the northeastern part of the line of contact that left four Azerbaijani commandos dead. It claimed that they were about to attack Defense Army positions in Karabakh’s northern Martakert district.

According to the statement, the three other Azerbaijani servicemen were shot dead at another frontline section after firing live rounds from an anti-aircraft gun. “During those operations the Armenian side suffered no losses,” added the statement.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry confirmed one of the raids reportedly carried out at a frontline section in northeastern Karabakh. But it insisted that one of its soldiers died in the fighting.

The latest fighting is part of a fresh upsurge in Armenian-Azerbaijani truce violations. Two Armenian soldiers, including a lieutenant-colonel, were killed in northeastern Karabakh on Saturday in a reported Azerbaijani ambush. Another Armenian soldier was killed on Tuesday.

Armenia’s defense ministry said on Monday that Baku will face “severe consequences” of the latest escalation.