Meanings of azeri forces in English

He added that Azeri forces had been repelled and had suffered significant losses.

In the TV interview, Aliyev said Azeri forces had retaken several areas from Armenian counterparts.

Azeri forces were not violating the truce, he added.

The worst fighting since 1994 between Azeri forces and Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian-backed separatists erupted last Friday night.

Putin and Aliyev had not spoken since fighting between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces erupted on Sept. 27.

Azeri forces say they have made territorial gains, including full control over the border with Iran, which Armenia denies.

Ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia, drove back Azeri forces and took control of seven districts of Azerbaijan adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Officials in Nagorno-Karabakh said Azeri forces were shelling their positions in northern and southern areas of the line of contact that divides them.

A spokesman for Nagorno-Karabakh said the enclave's forces had retreated for tactical reasons to limit losses and inflict more damage on Azeri forces.

They said Azeri forces had shelled civilian settlements including the town of Martuni and four villages - charges that were denied by Azerbaijan.

Fierce fighting broke out on Sunday between Armenian and Azeri forces over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region inside Azerbaijan but run by ethnic Armenians.

Nagorno-Karabakh said its forces had inflicted losses on Azeri forces and that large-scale military operations were continuing in the Hadrut area of the enclave.

Armenian and Azeri forces exchanged fierce fire for a second day on Monday morning, with both sides accusing each other of using heavy artillery.

Officials in Nagorno-Karabakh said Azeri forces had launched an attack on the enclave's military positions and there were casualties and wounded on both sides.

By the time of the 1994 ceasefire, they had pushed Azeri forces out of almost all of Nagorno-Karabakh and taken control of surrounding districts.

The government has also faced political challenges, including a flare-up of violence in Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region in April between Armenian-backed separatists and Azeri forces.