Azerbaijani state commission says it is aware of capture of two Armenian soldiers

Though the commission is aware of capture of Armenian military men, identity and conditions in which the soldiers were captured remain unknown yet, commission's Head Shain Sailov said. He said an investigation is underway on this issue.

Sailov said Armenia does not officially confirm capture of its soldiers. According to unofficial reports, Armenian soldiers were voluntarily captured near Gulustan village of Goranboy region on Mat 31.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on June 1 that an official statement on this issue will be made public today.

Three more Armenian soldiers, Qrant Markosyan, Arthur Vartevyan and Alik Tevosyan were voluntarily captured by Azerbaijani army in Agjaduz area of Agdam region in late Feb.

Azerbaijan has two hostages in Armenia currently.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

/Trend News/