Azerbaijani armed forces’ officer awarded posthumously

The captain of Azerbaijan's Armed Forces Najmaddin Savalanov has been posthumously awarded the medal 'For Courage', Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said.

Despite the efforts of military doctors, Savalanov has recently passed away in Azerbaijan's Central Military Hospital of his wounds during the hostilities between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in early April, Trend reports.

On the night of April 2 all Azerbaijan’s border line positions were subject to heavy fire from large-caliber artillery, mortars, grenade launchers and guns. In addition, densely populated Azerbaijani settlements near the front line, were also shelled.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20% of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US, are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.