Armenian Forces Kill Azerbaijani Officer
Armenian troops Thursday killed an Azerbaijani soldier in the latest in a week of tit-for-tat clashes over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh, Azerbaijan's defense ministry said.
Captain Elnur Jafarov was killed "as a result of a violation of the ceasefire by the Armenian side" along the volatile frontline in the southwestern Tatar region, some 270 kilometers (160 miles) from the Azerbaijani capital Baku, the defense ministry said.
"Jafarov was shot dead by a sniper while carrying out his duties," the ministry said in a statement.
The shooting follows a spate of raids by both sides over the past week that left at least one soldier from the breakaway region's armed forces dead.
Armenia-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in a 1990s war that killed 30,000 people. Despite years of negotiations since a 1994 ceasefire, the two sides have yet to sign a peace deal.
Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the disputed region by force if negotiations do not yield results, while Armenia has vowed to retaliate against any military action.
Around 20 soldiers from both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides were reportedly killed last year.
Source: Agence France Presse
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