Karabakh truce for religious holidays - conflicting reports

A truce, held to mark the religious holidays of Nowruz Bayram and Easter, has been reached between fighting parties in Nagorno-Karabakh, but reports differ on whether it is being observed. 

All three signatories to the agreement – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karbakh – are abiding by the truce, said ArmeniaNow, which today claimed today this is the first cessation of its kind since 1994.

However, other reports today said the fighting is ongoing, with each side blaming the other for violations.

Azerbaijan fired 2,400 shots at Armenian positions, as well as many large shells, the Armenpress news agency reported the Nagorno Karabakh Defence Ministry as saying.

Meanwhile, the Trend news agency said there has been hostility from both sides, with Armenian troops violating the ceasefire 128 times on various parts of the contact line, with Azerbaijani armed forces inflicting 130 strikes on Armenian positions.

Both sides blamed each other of provoking the hostilities.

A ceasefire has been in place since 1994, but over the past few months tempers have flared, with many shots fired across the border from both sides. 

The Nowruz Bayram and Easter period lasts from the end of March until the beginning of April. Long hot summers are traditionally particularly dangerous along the disputed border.

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