Azeris Again Breach Ceasefire

STEPANAKERT, YEREVAN (Combined Sources)—One Armenian soldier was wounded on Aug. 31 after what the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (NKR) Army press office described as an attack by Azeri units in an attempt to overrun Karabagh positions, reported ArmRadio.

The ceasefire breach took place at 6:30 a.m. local time on Aug. 31 near the village of Chailu in northeastern Karabagh—the same place where, on June 18, Azeri forces launched an attack that killed four Armenian soldiers.

NKR Army spokesman Senor Hasratian told RFE/RL that the soldier who was wounded was 19-year-old Rudik Manaserian. Doctors at a military hospital in Stepanakert later told RFE/RL that Manaserian had undergone surgery and is now in “satisfactory” condition.

“The Armenian servicemen on duty noticed the movement of an enemy special task force on time and took appropriate measures,” read the Karabagh army report, adding that Azeri forces then retreated, suffering losses.

“The incident that occurred in the northeastern direction of the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno-Karabagh and Azerbaijan (in the vicinity of Chailu village) once again proves that official Baku intends to perpetuate the instability in the region not only through periodic war rhetoric, but also frequent acts of sabotage at different parts of the contact line,” the report continued.

“The Azerbaijani side is quick to blame the Karabagh forces at every turn. The official and non-official Azeri propaganda machine remains committed to this version of the story,” it read.

“Once again Azerbaijan showed its true face. However, the enemy retreated, suffering losses as a result of the appropriate measures taken by the Armenian side. As usual, they are spreading false information,” said Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian in response to Azeri reports that blamed the Karabagh Army for the ceasefire violation and claims that the Karabagh side suffered three losses.

The attacks come on the eve of a scheduled visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Baku, Azerbaijan. It remains to be seen how this latest violation of the ceasefire by Baku will play out during Medvedev’s visit.