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Three soldiers of the Defense Army of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh republic, Artsakh, were killed in strikes carried out by Azerbaijani combat drones.
The strikes were carried out on March 25 morning, when units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces crossed the ceasefire line in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and seized the village of Farukh.
“On March 25, as a result of the provocations of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, particularly the use of Bayraktar TB2 attack drone in the eastern direction of the line of contact, servicemen Davit Mirzoyan(1978), Ishkhan Ohanyan (1994), Ararat Tevosyan(1990) were fatally wounded,” the Artsakh Defense Army said in a statement.
According to Armenian sources, at least 18 others Armenian soldiers were wounded as a result of the Azerbaijani drone strikes and the clashes near Farukh.
The Azerbaijani attack on Farukh was a violation of the 2020 ceasefire agreement. The Russian-brokered agreement ended a six-week battle between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. The heated battle claimed the lives of more than 5,500 soldiers from both sides. During the battle, Bayraktar TB2 combat drones supplied to Azerbaijan by Turkey inflicted heavy losses on Armenian forces.
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Russian peacekeepers, who were deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh under the ceasefire agreement, were dispatched to Farukh to discuss the violation with Azerbaijani forces.
Despite Russian efforts, Azerbaijani forces didn’t withdraw from the village, according to the Artsakh Information Center.
Armenian sources warned that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh could escalate even further. Azerbaijan forces are reportedly planning to captured the Karaglukh hill, which is located near Farukh. Armenian forces in the region have been placed on high-alert.
Azerbaijan appears to be trying to take advantage of the ongoing war in Ukraine, to expand its control in Nagorno-Karabakh. Most of the region remains in the hand of Armenian forces.
