[7] The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan stated that the four soldiers killed on 2 August 2014 died in a clash with what they called "Armenian sabotage groups" conducting an operation in the Aghdam–Tartar area.

[citation needed] On 7 August 2014, Karen Petrosian, from Chinari village in Karabakh, traveled into Azerbaijani territory and was captured, later dying while in custody.

The Azerbaijan Defense Ministry claimed afterwards, however, that Petrosian was a member of an Armenian commando squad that tried unsuccessfully to conduct a cross-border sabotage attack.

[11][12] Azerbaijani citizen, Shahbaz Guliyev, and a Russian national, Dilgham Asgarov, were taken captive in Karabakh for suspected commando activities.

[13] The announcement of Guliyev's capture coincided with an official confirmation that a 17-year-old ethnic Armenian resident of Kelbajar, Smbat Tsakanian, went missing a week prior.

[14] Baku has denied that the two individuals have anything to do with the military, and has demanded that the International Committee of the Red Cross secure their release, as well as the return of Hasanov's body.

“If Armenia is currently demonstrating such a position on releasing the hostages and returning the body, how we can talk about the desire to coexist in the future based on mutual confidence[?

[13] On 29 December 2014 a court in Nagorno-Karabakh sentenced Dilgam Askerov to life in prison for illegal border crossing and arms possession, espionage and kidnapping as well as for the murder of Smbat Tsakanian.