Two Nagorno-Karabakh Separatists Killed Despite Cease-Fire

April 26, 2016

A spokesman for Armenian-backed Nagorno-Karabakh separatist forces says two separatist fighters were killed early on April 26 by gunfire that came from Azerbaijan's side of the "line of contact" separating the combatant sides.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry confirmed on April 26 that its troops fired at separatist positions more than 100 times during the previous 24 hours.

But the ministry in Baku claimed all of the shooting by Azerbaijani forces was in response to cease-fire violations by the Armenian-backed side.

Baku also said Armenian-backed forces "shelled the city of Terter and its vicinity"with mortars, howitzer artillery, and multiple-rocket launchers.

In early April, Nagorno-Karabakh saw its worst violence since a shaky cease-fire was reached in 1994 that effectively froze the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenian-backed separatists in the breakaway region.

A fresh cease-fire went into effect on April 5.

But both sides have accused each other of violating the April 5 cease-fire.

Based on reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and TASS