YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. The U.S. Congressmen continue criticizing the downing of the helicopter of the Karabakh Air Force during a training flight by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. As reports “Armenpress”, the Armenian National Committee of America stated about this.

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.

“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, just hours after the November 12th Azerbaijani attack. "Azerbaijan must immediately cease all such attacks and provocations and commit to concrete progress in the Minsk Group talks."

Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) noted that he was "outraged and saddened" and called for immediate U.S. action to hold Azerbaijan accountable for their action. "I encourage President Obama to formally condemn this deadly attack," said Rep. Pallone. "I am also calling for the cessation of any military assistance to Azerbaijan and the strengthening of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which restricts aid to Azerbaijan based on its aggression toward Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia."

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) noted that “The apparent shoot down of an unarmed helicopter over the territory of the NKR, demonstrates Azerbaijan’s callous disregard for human life and its willingness to engage in provocative acts of violence to distract from its domestic problems. This horrendous conduct threatens to destabilize the entire region."

Previously it was reported that in the airspace of the eastern sector of the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border, in the result of the violation of the ceasefire regime, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces shot a helicopter Mi-24 of the Air Forces of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic during a training flight on November 12 at 13:45. The place of the shot is very close to the line of contact. The press service of the Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic informed Armenpress that the rival continues firing in the direction of the incident. The details of the incident are being investigated. Later it was announced from Stepanakert that by preliminary data there are three victims. The Commander of the staff was the Major Sergey Sahakyan.

The Spokesperson of the Artsakh President Davit Babayan told Armenpress that the helicopter was not intended for military actions. “The helicopter was not intended for military actions and did not have any weapons in it. It just implemented training exercises. The helicopter was not of danger for the rival. The Azerbaijani side hit the helicopter from the back”, - said Davit Babayan.

The Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United States, and Pierre Andrieu of France) have also expressed very serious concern about the downing of a helicopter near the Line of Contact and the recent violence in their statement issued in Vienna.