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Domestic

Ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia turns 13

11 May 2007 17:24 (UTC +04:00)

13 years have passed since Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed on ceasefire on the front line. Despite the ceasefire agreement in May12, 1994, Armed Forces of Armenia kept on firing settlements from Azerbaijanâ€™s occupied territories, APA reports. Armenians daily violate ceasefire firing Aghdam, Tartar, Fuzuli and Gazakh regions. About 20 Azerbaijan soldiers die each year since the ceasefire agreement in 1994. Moreover civilians also killed by Armenians.
According to the results of monitoring on the basis of figures proved by Defense Ministry only in 2006, 14 soldiers were killed , 2 soldiers were captured and several were injured in result of 220 cases of ceasefire violation. The ceasefire was violated more than 70 times since January 2007. Four servicemen and one civilian were killed by Armenians and 6 soldiers injured in the mine explosion. The most ceasefire violation directions are Aghdam, Gazakh, and Tartar and Fuzuli regions. Moreover, more than 2,000 Azerbaijanis suffered from Armenian mines since 1991. 400 of them killed and the rest has become handicapped. According to approximate evaluations, 4.6 percent of the occupied territories were mined. The demining process needs 10-12 years and more than $ 600 million.
During 13 years of ceasefire, Armenians destroyed, ruined and plundered material recourses of occupied territories. Azerbaijan damages came to $ 80 billion according to the joint researches of Azerbaijan together with World Bank. In 2006, Armeniansâ€™ burning occupied territories damaged Azerbaijan both economically and ecologically. Meantime Armenians collected a large scale arms to Nagorno Krabakh territory and strengthened fortifications system. The enemy launches more than 10 military exercises in the occupied Azerbaijan territories.
Defense Ministry press service head Colonel General Eldar Sabiroghlu told APA he does not have statistics of ceasefire violation. â€œAzerbaijan replies to all provocative actions of Armenia. Armenians also suffer casualties during ceasefire violation. But they withhold information from peopleâ€. /APA/