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UN chief "deeply disturbed" by ceasefire violations in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone

Xinhua, April 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Saturday he was deeply disturbed by the recent reports of large-scale ceasefire violations along the Line of Contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

A statement by Ban's spokesman issued Saturday said Ban was particularly concerned by "the reported use of heavy weapons and the large number of casualties, including among the civilian population."

The Secretary-General urged all relevant parties to put an immediate end to the fighting, fully respect the ceasefire agreement and take urgent steps to de-escalate the situation, said the statement.

Ban also reiterated his full support for the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and all parties working to resolve this dangerous situation and pursue a peaceful negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it said.

Heavy fighting broke out on Saturday between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Azerbaijan claimed that 12 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and a helicopter downed by the Armenian forces, while Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said Saturday that 18 Armenian soldiers have been killed, 35 wounded in the border clashes. Each side blamed the other for the escalation, the worst since 1994.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter dispute over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh seized by Armenia-backed forces from Azerbaijan in 1991. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a cease-fire agreement was reached. Enditem