BAKU -- Azerbaijan says one of its soldiers has been shot dead near the border of its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Defense Ministry officials told RFE/RL that Ali Abilov was killed by a sniper on March 10.
Armenia, which controls Nagorno-Karabakh, has denied any shots were fired from the territory.
The report comes a day after police in Baku violently dispersed hundreds of demonstrators protesting the deaths and alleged abuse of conscripts in the Azerbaijani military.
Several Azerbaijani Army conscripts have died in the past several days.
The first campaign to raise awareness about conscript deaths was organized by activists in January after the death of soldier Ceyhun Qubadov.
Army officials initially said Qubadov died of a heart attack.
But the conscript's relatives published photos of his body that appeared to show evidence of violence.
Defense Ministry officials told RFE/RL that Ali Abilov was killed by a sniper on March 10.
Armenia, which controls Nagorno-Karabakh, has denied any shots were fired from the territory.
The report comes a day after police in Baku violently dispersed hundreds of demonstrators protesting the deaths and alleged abuse of conscripts in the Azerbaijani military.
Several Azerbaijani Army conscripts have died in the past several days.
The first campaign to raise awareness about conscript deaths was organized by activists in January after the death of soldier Ceyhun Qubadov.
Army officials initially said Qubadov died of a heart attack.
But the conscript's relatives published photos of his body that appeared to show evidence of violence.
