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Members of Congress continue condemning Azerbaijan’s latest escalation of anti-Armenian aggression, reports Asbarez.

“The downing of an Armenian helicopter today is an indefensible aggressive action that threatens to undermine the fragile ceasefire and plunge the region back into violence,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) announced. “Azerbaijan must immediately cease all such attacks and provocations and commit to concrete progress in the Minsk Group talks.”

In a statement issued earlier today, Rep, Judy Chu explained “I am deeply troubled by the latest evidence of Azerbaijan’s continued aggression with their attack on an apparently unarmed helicopter. The people in Nagorno Karabakh deserve and desire peace, but Azerbaijan’s disregard for the 1994 cease fire threatens both sides with conflict.”

“Azerbaijan should be held accountable for engaging in violence and not in peaceful negotiations,” commented San Fernando Valley, CA Congressman Brad Sherman, tweeting in solidarity with the Armenian Youth Federation #ArtsakhStrong social media campaign raising awareness about Karabakh freedom and opposing Azerbaijan’s increasing aggression.

CA Board of Equalization Member and Controller Elect Betty Yee also shared her concerns regarding the most recent attack. “When life is threatened anywhere and citizens are left in fear, the possibility of peace becomes less hopeful. I join my elected colleagues around the world in denouncing this act of violence against Armenia. May peace reign within the borders, and may violence against any people and nation be condemned,” Betty Yee stated.

Congressmen Frank Pallone and Adam Schiff had condemned the actions of Azerbaijan earlier.

As NKR Defense Ministry press service reported earlier, on November 12, at around 1:45 pm, Nagorno Karabakh Air Forces’ Mi-24 helicopter was shot by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during military training flight in the airspace in the eastern section of Karabakh – Azerbaijan Line of Contact. The land, on which the incident occurred, is in close proximity to the line of contact. Opponent after the incident continued intense bombardment scene from weapons of different caliber. The place where the helicopter was shot is close to the Line of Contact. The enemy continued to fire shots from weapons of different calibers after the incident.

Meanwhile, the press secretary of Armenian Defense Minister Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote on his Facebook page that Azerbaijani Armed Forces have carried out an unprecedented provocation on the border with the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh; this has also led to escalation of the situation. In the same time the fabrications of the Azerbaijani side, as if the Armenian helicopters had attacked their positions and they allegedly had merely responded to this step, are senseless. "The study of the wreckage of the helicopter will confirm that he was not armed. The escalation of the Azerbaijani side has continued even after the helicopter fall down. Moreover, the Azerbaijani side continued shelling, not allowing even to get closer to the pilots. The consequences of this unprecedented escalation will be very harmful for the Azerbaijani side and will remain as a stain on the conscience of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan. Captain of the helicopter was Major Sergei Sahakyan. Information about the fate of the crew will be given later," Artsrun Hovhannisyan stated.