Seven snipers were killed as a result of special operations held in the southeastern provinces of Turkey, the Turkish TV channel 'Tgrthaber' reported Apr. 11.

The killed militants had close ties with the terrorist organization "Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia" (ASALA), according to the TV channel.

The eliminated snipers took active part in the military operations against Azerbaijan's army in the occupied lands of the country, according to the intelligence agency of Turkey.

The snipers also trained Armenian gangs in Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.

On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.