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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Russian peacekeeper wounded in mine explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh

An Azerbaijani officer was killed and four representatives of the Emergencies Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic were injured, according to the top brass

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS, archive

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. An officer of the Russian peacekeeping contingent was wounded in a mine explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh during the search for those killed in the armed conflict, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

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Also, an Azerbaijani officer was killed and four representatives of the Emergencies Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic were wounded in the mine explosion, the ministry specified.

On November 23, a joint group for the exchange of the bodies of dead servicemen composed of representatives of the Russian peacekeepers, the Azerbaijani armed forces, the Emergencies Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the International Committee of the Red Cross was searching for those killed in the Tartar district, the ministry said.

"In the area of the community of Madagiz, a mine exploded during the search. As a result of the mine explosion, an officer of the Russian peacekeeping contingent was wounded. An officer of the Azerbaijani armed forces died. Four members of the Emergencies Ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh received wounds of various gravity," Russia’s Defense Ministry said.

"The Russian serviceman was delivered to a hospital in Baku where he is receiving all the necessary medical assistance. His condition is not life-threatening," the ministry said.

The joint groups established on the initiative of the Russian peacekeepers’ command to search for and transfer the bodies of those killed during the armed conflict have been operating coherently and effectively for more than a week now. The bodies of those killed found as a result of this work are handed over to the parties for burial, the Defense Ministry said.

On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. The Russian leader said the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh is comprised of units from the 15th separate motor rifle (peacekeeping) brigade of the Central Military District.

The Russian peacekeepers have set up observation posts along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor that connects Armenia with the enclave to exercise control of the ceasefire agreement observance. The peacekeeping mission’s command is stationed in the area of Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh. The situation is being monitored around the clock.

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