“We remind both countries that facilitating peace is a commitment they took on when they became members of the Council of Europe. We therefore urge them to show the restraint needed on the ground to de-escalate the situation and to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric,” said the co-rapporteur PACE for Armenia, Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC), and the PACE co-rapporteurs for Azerbaijan, Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC) and Sir Roger Gale (United Kingdom, EC/DA), in a joint statement.

“We also call on both countries to resume peace talks in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, in the manner indicated by its co-Chairs in their statement of 15 July: creating an atmosphere conducive to the peace process, holding negotiations on a settlement for Nagorno-Karabakh, and allowing the return of OSCE monitors to the region,” they concluded.

Starting from noon on July 12, units of the armed forces of Armenia, grossly violating the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan’s Tovuz district along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, opened artillery fire at Azerbaijani positions.

Azerbaijan's armed response forced the Armenian army to retreat suffering losses.

Azerbaijani personnel, sergeant of military service Vugar Sadigov and corporal Elshad Mammadov, died while repelling the attack of the Armenian armed forces.

Despite the efforts of the Azerbaijani doctors, severely wounded serviceman of the Azerbaijani army Khayyam Dashdemirov also died.

The tension remained in Tovuz district on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on July 12 night.

During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenia’s military unit.

Azerbaijani serviceman, senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles.

The battles continued on the night of July 13. Major General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzoyev, Major Namig Ahmadov, Major Anar Novruzov, Ensign Ilgar Zeynalli, Ensign Yashar Babayev and soldier Elchin Mustafazade became martyrs during the battles.

Another serviceman of the extended military service of the Azerbaijani army, Private Nazim Ismayilov died in the battle in the direction of Tovuz district on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border on July 16.

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