Azerbaijani analysts treat conflicts with Armenian militaries as peacemakers' flaw

Russian peacemakers fail to properly perform their functions of monitoring the observance of the ceasefire regime; therefore, Armenian militaries penetrate into the territories controlled by Azerbaijan. This is the opinion of Telman Abilov, the head of the NGO "Military Lawyers", and Ali Kerimli, the leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA). To end incidents, Azerbaijan must completely take control over the Lachin Corridor, Ilham Ismail, the head of the Centre for Security Studies, believes.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 28, Azerbaijan reported the death of a military serviceman and wounding another one in an attack committed by a group of six people in the direction of the village of Agdam (Akaku) in the Khodjavend (Martuni) District.

The armed incident was not an occasion, Mr Abilov believes. He has recalled that recently Vitaly Balasanyan, the Secretary of the Security Council of Nagorno-Karabakh, announced plans to return some lands lost after the signing of the armistice. Telman Abilov has added that earlier in the Gadrut District they found a large group of armed persons who arrived from the Shirak Region of Armenia.

He believes that the Armenian militaries killed near the village of Agdam (Akaku) had penetrated there with a reconnaissance or sabotage mission. According to Abilov, if the armed conflicts do not stop, Azerbaijan can harshly put before Russia the issue of peacemakers performing their functions and about their withdrawal from the region.

Ilham Ismail believes that the incident in Gadrut evidences the ongoing provocations.

Ali Kerimli, the PFPA leader, has also blamed Russian peacemakers for the armed provocations.