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Revision as of 18:56, 25 August 2010
| 2010 Chayli (Getik), Mardakert Skirmish | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Nagorno-Karabakh Republic |
 Azerbaijan | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
|
4 dead, 4 wounded | 1 dead | ||||
The 2010 Mardakert skirmish was a violation of ceasefire which took place across the line of contact dividing Azerbaijani and Armenian military forces on the night of June 18—19, 2010. It was the worst violation of the cease fire (which has been in place since 1994) in two years and left Armenian forces with the heaviest casualties since the Mardakert skirmishes of March 2008.
Skirmish and subsequent events
The skirmish occurred near the village of Chayli, located in the province of Mardakert/Tartar in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the Defense Ministry of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Armenian troops along the line of contact were attacked by a 20-man Azerbajani reconnaissance or sabotage unit at about 11:30 PM on June 18. The heavy fighting resulted in the deaths of four Armenian soldiers as well as one Azerbaijani serviceman, Mubariz Ibrahimov. According to the Armenian Reporter Ibrahimov's body was left on the Armenian side of the contact line, as the rest of his unit retreated. Karabakh Armenian forces retaliated the next day by launching an attack near Fizuli on June 19-20, killing one Azerbaijani serviceman.
Reaction
The incident took place just twenty-four hours after a meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan hosted by Russia's Dmitry Medvedev. The president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan called the skirmish an "Azeri provocation," which took place hours after he had met his counterpart, Ilham Aliyev for peace talks regarding the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The officials in Azerbaijan dismissed the claim. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said it was the Armenians who fired at its forces using automatic rifles and machine guns. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elhan Polukhov stated that it was a "direct consequence of Armenia's failure to withdraw from occupied Azerbaijani territory."
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group condemned the skirmish and stated that it was "an unacceptable violation of the 1994 Cease-Fire Agreement and...contrary to the stated commitment of the sides to refrain from the use of force or the threat of the use of force." The use of military force at this juncture "can only be seen as an attempt to damage the peace process." In his confirmation hearings as the United States' ambassador to Azerbaijan in July 2010, Matthew Bryza confirmed that the attack was initiated by the Azerbaijani side, stating "There was an Azerbaijani move across the line of contact, Armenia responded, resulting in deaths."
Shortly after the incident, on July 22, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev conferred ensign Ibrahimov with the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan for his services to the state. Azerbaijani sources have since claimed that Ibrahimov was single-handedly responsible for killing all four of the Armenian soldiers and wounding the five others and have alleged that his actions were voluntary and the result of personal a desire to take vengeance against "the enemy."
Analysis
Richard Giragosian, the director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies and a former defense analyst for Jane's, described the intrusion as "either a test on Armenian response or a sign of lack of command and discipline in the Azerbaijani military." He described it as "more professional and more deadly than previous such incursions" and had been planned days in advance. The fact that the attack began with an Azerbaijani sniper inflicting a fatal head wound on an Armenian soldier was further evidence of this, he said.
See also
Notes
- ^ Sanamyan, Emil. "Four Armenian Soldiers Killed in Karabakh Skirmish." Eurasia Review. June 20, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- "Armenian, Azerbaijani Clashes Continue In Karabakh." RFE/RL. June 22, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
- ^ Fuller, Liz. "OSCE, EU Condemn Karabakh 'Armed Incident'." RFE/RL. June 22, 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
- "NKR Defense Ministry Statement." Lragir. June 19, 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2010
- Mkrtchyan, Hasmik, Lada Yevgrashina and Maria Kiselyova. "Four Armenians and one Azeri killed in Karabakh clash." Reuters. June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
- "Armenian, Azerbaijani Clashes Continue In Karabakh." RFE/RL. June 22, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
- OSCE Press release. OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs issue statement
- Kucera, Joshua. "Baku Envoy Nominee Faces Grilling During Confirmation Hearing." Eurasianet. July 22, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ "Mubariz Ibrahimov’s heroic action receives high appraisal of the state." News.az. July 23, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- "Fighting erupts in Karabakh in what Armenia calls a major Azeri 'provocation'." ArmeniaNow. June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
