Armenian Conscript Killed following Azerbaijani Infiltration Attempts

Azerbaijani military units attempted eight separate infiltration operations across the Karabakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact on the evening of January 19 and early morning hours of January 20. The Armenian side was able to respond adequately and push back the adversary but not without losses.

The Defense Ministry of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic issued a press statement regarding the uneasy situation at the border. The statement said that as a result of violating the ceasefire regime by Azerbaijani armed forces, an Armenian contract soldier Suren Pilosyan (b. 1995) was killed in the line of duty while serving in one of the defense posts.

The ceasefire regime along the entire length of the Line Contact and throughout the night was violated approximately 220 times and more than 2000 shots were fired using different caliber weapons by Azerbaijani military positions directed toward Armenian positions.

The statement by the NKR Defense Army said that the ministry shares the heavy pain of the loss and expresses its solidarity to the family, relatives and friends of Suren Pilosyan.

An investigation has been launched by the ministry.

On January 17, Azerbaijani armed forces had opened fire in the direction of the Armenian border villages Berdavan, Dovegh, Barekamavan, Koti, Voskevan and Baghanis, which resulted in the death of 21-year-old conscript Arman Harutyunyan.