Azerbaijani soldier injured by Armenian firing in Nakhchivan

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AA) – An Azerbaijani soldier was wounded when the Armenian military opened fire on Azerbaijani positions in Nakhchivan, the country’s Defense Ministry on Friday.

The soldier suffered a bullet wound to the shoulder and was admitted to a hospital, where his life is out of danger, the ministry said in a statement.

Blaming Yerevan for the tensions along the border in the Nakhchivan region, the ministry called on Armenia to act responsibly and avoid provocations and other steps that could worsen the situation.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Conflict between the two flared up last year and six weeks of fighting ended with a Russian-brokered truce on Nov. 10.

During that time, Azerbaijan liberated several strategic cities and nearly 300 of its settlements and villages that had been under Armenian occupation for some three decades.

The Nov. 10 cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose forces withdrew from the region in line with the agreement.

A joint Turkish-Russian center was established to monitor the cease-fire, with Russian peacekeeping troops also deployed in the region.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan