YEREVAN/BAKU, May 29 (RIA Novosti) - Armenia and Azerbaijan both claimed fatalities after a shootout between soldiers in the region of Nagorny-Karabakh, and accused each other of breaching a ceasefire agreement Monday.
"An Armenian military serviceman was killed as a result of a shot from the Azerbaijani side at Armenian positions in the Noyemberyansky region at around 8.30 p.m. [Moscow time, 4.30 p.m. GMT] May 27," defense ministry spokesman Seiran Shakhsuvaryan said.
But an Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman denied the claim, and said an Azerbaijani soldier was killed.
"An Azerbaijani soldier was killed as a result of shelling by Armenian units stationed on mount Lele-Ilahi in Azerbaijan's Fizuli region," Ilgar Verdiev said.
The conflict between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh, an Azerbaijani region with a largely Armenian population, first erupted in 1988, when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.
Over 30,000 people were reported dead on both sides between 1988 and 1994, and over 100 others died after a ceasefire was concluded in 1994, leaving Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenian hands, but tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia have persisted.
