ISTANBUL

Azerbaijan on Monday commemorated the soldiers killed during clashes between Baku and Yerevan in the Karabakh region in April 2016.

“According to the plan approved by the Azerbaijan Defense Minister, remembrance events were held in types of troops, Army Corps, formations, military units, and special educational institutions of the Azerbaijan Army with regard to the 7th anniversary of the April battles,” a statement by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry read.

The statement said military personnel, the families, and relatives of the soldiers killed, as well as public representatives, visited the graves, laid wreaths and flowers, and honored their memories during the events.

“During the ceremonies, the worthy response of the Azerbaijan Army to the provocations committed by the Armenian invaders during the April battles, and the examples of heroism and valor demonstrated by Azerbaijan Army’s military personnel in the battles were mentioned,” it added.

It also said the clashes resulted in Azerbaijan retaking control of 2,000 hectares in the region, while “strategically important heights in the territories of Aghdara, Fuzuli, and Jabrayil regions were liberated from occupation.”

Relations between the two former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

The clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces that started on April 1, 2016, which resulted in the death of over 270 military personnel, according to the Defense Ministry, was the worst breach of the cease-fire between Baku and Yerevan at the time. The clashes lasted for four days.

In the fall of 2020, in 44 days of clashes, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.​​​​​​​