Situation on contact line of Azerbaijani, Armenian troops remains tense

Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 6 Trend : The situation on the frontline of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops remains tense, Azerbaijani defense ministry said Apr. 6 Azerbaijani armed forces strictly adhere to the agreement on cessation of hostilities on the frontline reached since Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours), said the ministry. Azerbaijan's armed units are now carrying out fortification work in the re-taken areas, the ministry said. Azerbaijani defense ministry also stated that the information spread by the Armenian side regarding the violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Azerbaijani armed forces is groundless. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.