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Sudden, serious escalation in fighting started on 20 January in 2014 along various front-line areas. Armenia claimed Azerbaijan’s attempt to break through front lines, the new report of the International Crises Group (ICG) reported. The report is posted on the official website of the organization.

According to the ICG the sides announced about the killed, though details surrounding the clashes remain unclear.
“At regularly-scheduled meeting between countries’ FMs in Paris 24 Jan OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs expressed concern, called on sides to cease military actions,” the document reads.

The report also states that on January 24 Azerbaijan defense ministry declared it had deployed air force units over front line areas, confirmed by Armenia; same day said it declared that 1 Azerbaijani captain got killed. Armenian defense ministry reported the same day about 1 wounded civilian. On 27 January Azerbaijani media reported about another Azerbaijani officer killed in fighting. Nagorno Karabakh authorities reported conscript killed by Azerbaijani sniper fire.

On the night of January 19 to 20 YTD, in the northeast (Jraberd) and southeast (Corgan) areas attempts of penetration of subversive groups of Azerbaijani Armed Forces have been registered at the contact line between NKR and Azerbaijani Armed forces. "Advanced units of the NKR Armed forces spotted the actions of Azerbaijani subversive groups. Taking up organized defensive tactics in both directions and inflicting heavy losses, the Armenian soldiers threw the enemy back to their original positions. As a result of a shootout, Sergeant Armen Hovhannisyan died from a gunshot while bravely performing combat tasks," read the statement of the NKR Ministry of Defense. On 20 January Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree on awarding posthumously NKR Defense Army's N division's junior sergeant Armen Hovhannisyan for bravery shown during the defense of the NKR state border with the "For Courage" medal.

According to the unofficial sources, during the sabotage attempt the Azerbaijani troops lost 5-6 people who were killed and several people – wounded.

On January 28, at one of the northern military units of the NKR Defense Army Armenian serviceman Karen Galstyan, born in 1994, was shot dead in his head and was killed by Azeri sniper fire.