2 Armenian soldiers killed in Karabakh

Two Armenian soldiers have been killed in the latest clashes in the Nagorny Karabakh region, Armenian separatists said yesterday, despite a fresh ceasefire that ended the worst violence in decades over the disputed territory.

Armenia-backed rebels accused Azerbaijan of violating the truce deal 60 times overnight by firing heavy and automatic weapons across the volatile frontline.

At least 110 people died earlier this month in the worst violence to hit Nagorny Karabakh since an inconclusive ceasefire deal in 1994 halted a war that left some 30,000 people dead.

The two sides never signed a definitive peace deal after Armenian separatists seized the territory from Azerbaijan, and have been rearming heavily in recent years.

A Moscow-mediated truce went into effect last week but clashes have continued since then, with at least three other people reported killed.

The latest surge in violence sparked fears that a wider conflict in the key strategic region could drag in regional powers Russia and Turkey.