WASHINGTON–Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, on Saturday released the following statement:

“I am deeply disturbed by and condemn this terrible new escalation in Azerbaijan’s aggression against Nagorno Karabakh in the form of a significant military assault which killed 18 Armenian soldiers and at least one civilian — a young boy. That this attack comes just hours after Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev returned from meetings in Washington, D.C. with Vice President Biden and Secretary Kerry demonstrates that the policy of the United States and the Minsk Group is simply not working.

“Until Azerbaijan faces strong and meaningful consequences over their policy of escalation and violence and its self-serving refusal to agree to international monitoring of the Line of Contact, there is little chance of resolving the conflict and avoiding further bloodshed. The true victims of this policy are the people of Artsakh who simply want to live free of sniper fire and mortar barrages and to exercise their right of self determination.”