Armenia says recovered bodies of dead pilots

(Baku Daily) - The bodies of three Armenian pilots have been removed from a crash site after their helicopter was shot down by Azeri forces earlier this month, the Armenian Defense Ministry said.

The downing of the helicopter was the first such incident since a cease-fire was agreed in 1994 and has ratcheted up tensions between Armenia and oil-producing Azerbaijan.

"As a result of a special operation, the remains of the crew were retrieved, as were specific parts of the helicopter," Armenian Defence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

It said that two Azeri soldiers were killed during the operation and that the Armenian side did not suffer any losses.

The Defense Ministry in Baku denied the claim in a statement on its website. It said Armenians have yet to recover the bodies.

The incident highlighted the risk that tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh could trigger a wider conflict in the South Caucasus, through which oil and gas flow from the Caspian region to Europe.