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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| One Armenian soldier killed in disputed Karabakh |
| 2010-03-03 |
| [Iran Press TV Latest] At least one Armenian soldier has been killed in a clash between Azeri and Armenian forces in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Armenia's Defense Ministry, the 29-year-old Sergeant Sargis Voskanian was killed amid rising tensions between the two countries. Tensions over Karabakh have heightened in recent months amid efforts by Armenia and Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan, to re-establish diplomatic ties and reopen their common border after decades of hostility. There was no immediate comment from Azerbaijani officials. Backed by Yerevan, ethnic Armenian forces seized control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, in a war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives. The two former Soviet republics have cut direct economic and transport links and failed to negotiate a settlement on the region's status. Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are spread across a ceasefire line in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, often facing each other at close range, with shootings reported as common. |
| Posted by:Fred |