19:00, 25 May 2009

Azeri authorities investigate reasons why a soldier shot his comrades-in-arms

The Azeri Ministry of Defense has confirmed the fact of shooting five persons to death on May 23 and stated that the reasons for the incident are being clarified. The prosecutor's office has not confirmed any reports on harassments among servicemen so far.

As was reported earlier, a regular term serviceman of the Azeri army had accidentally shot at five comrades-in-arms and four of them died during war games at the firing range of the republic's Shamkir district. The fifth serviceman who was heavily wounded is in hospital.

"Junior sergeant Orkhan Tofic Oglu Safarov has been arrested. The motifs for the crime are being clarified", said Eldar Sabiroglu, chief of the Ministry of Defense press-service, to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In his turn, Afraim Takhmazov, press-secretary of the Azeri military prosecutor's office has not confirmed so far that the crime was committed due to harassment among servicemen or that Safarov started shooting in response to abusive actions of his comrade-in-arms.

Author: Faik Medzhid

Source: CK correspondent