Azerbaijan Troops Encircle Rebel Police As Tensi

(20 Mar 1995) T, I 10:14:14 STORY: SITUATION LOCATION: BAKU, AZERBAIJAN DATE: 1516 MARCH, 1995 DURATION: 1. 10 Troops encircle rebel police as tensions rise The Azerbaijan government on Thursday (16, 3) sent additional regular army units to encircle and storm a base of rebellious riot police on the outskirts of the capital, Baku. The rebel police fired warning shots as the troops were deployed around the base. The reinforcements came after a night of violence when government troops used grenade launchers in a vain bid to overpower the rebels. Troops and police exchanged fire throughout the night. The fighting followed a nationwide TV speech on Wednesday (15, 3) by Azerbaijani President Geidar Aliyev, who accused the rebels of trying to overthrow him. He said his country was on the verge of civil war and promised to restore order in the volatile, oilrich former Soviet republic. The conflict pits Aliyev, former Communist Party boss of Azerbaijan, against the special police force, which is c