Armenia said a 19-year-old soldier of the "Nagorno-Karabakh army”, Garik Ispiryan, was killed east of the region by Azerbaijani army fire on December. 8.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said on its website a 34-year-old soldier, Qosqar Qurbanov, was killed and another injured in a landmine explosion in an undisclosed location on the same day. 

Armenia and Azerbaijan remain in a state of war despite a ceasefire signed more than 20 years ago.

Backed by Russia, Armenia captured nearly one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts, in a war in the early 1990s.

Over 20 troops were killed in August when skirmishes turned the deadliest in 20 years.

Azerbaijan has vowed to use military force to regain control of the territory should peace talks mediated by the US, Russia and France fail.