Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry announced on Monday that the bodies of five Azerbaijani soldiers, who were killed in clashes on February 24, have not been returned due to new Armenian demands.

The demands came despite a previous deal between the two countries, which was reached with the help of international institutions.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and International Red Crescent officials from the conflict area planned to retrieve the bodies of the five soldiers, who died trying to prevent a provocation by the Armenian army, on Sunday afternoon.

Armenia presented new and unacceptable demands, which violated the prior agreement, as representatives of international institutions launched the return operation for the killed soldiers, the statement of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry elaborated.

Later on Monday, the ministry announced that the bodies of the killed soldiers were recovered in the presence of international mediators.

Meanwhile the Armenian army attempted sabotage in the village of Talysh, but its soldiers who were trying to approach the Azerbaijani positions were repelled, another statement by Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said.

The Armenian army retreated due to some losses among its ranks, whereas no one was killed from the Azerbaijani forces, the statement added.

On the night of February 24, the Armenian army launched an attack to capture critical positions along the front near Khojavend- Fuzuli in the Karabakh region, leading to intense clashes between the Azerbaijani and Armenian soldiers.

Pro-Armenian militia have occupied Azerbaijan's Karabakh region since 1993, in a similar fashion to how pro-Russian militia have illegally occupied parts of Ukraine since 2014.

Three UN Security Council resolutions (853, 874 and 884) and United Nations General Assembly resolutions 19/13 and 57/298 refer to Karabakh as being part of Azerbaijan.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe also refers to the territory as under occupation of Armenian forces.