47 Armenian soldiers killed near Azeri border: Report

BAKU

President Ilham Aliyev visits Aghdam region where clashes have erupted. AA Photo

The Azerbaijani army has reportedly killed 47 Armenian soldiers in recent clashes, as President Ilham Aliyev visited a frontline zone near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Citing Russian diplomatic sources, Azerbaijan Press Agency (APA) reported 47 Armenian servicemen were killed and more than 100 were wounded near the border between the two countries, with the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also stating that the Armenians suffered a “considerably greater number of losses” during the clashes.

Last week the simmering tensions boiled over into the fiercest clashes seen since a cease-fire was agreed upon in 1994.

Meanwhile, Aliyev was briefed on Aug. 6 by military commanders over the situation in the Agdam district, where recent clashes erupted. “The situation is fully under control. Our positions are durable and strong,” the president said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will host Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Aliyev for separate meetings at his Black Sea residence in Sochi over the weekend, while Armenia and Azerbaijan have been accusing each other of escalating the tensions.

Efforts to reach a permanent settlement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have failed despite mediation led by France, Russia and the United States.