Armenian Military Reports Casualties In Border Shootout With Azerbaijan

The Armenian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that the Azerbaijani armed forces had opened fire on Armenian engineer troops in a border region in Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of which several Armenian soldiers were killed or injured

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2023) The Armenian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that the Azerbaijani armed forces had opened fire on Armenian engineer troops in a border region in Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of which several Armenian soldiers were killed or injured.

"On April 11, at around 4 p.m. (12:00GMT), the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire in the direction of the Armenian Armed Forces' servicemen who were carrying out engineering works in the direction of the Tegh community. The Armenian side resorted to retaliatory actions. According to preliminary information, the Armenian side has losses and wounded," the ministry said.

In a situation update, the Armenian ministry said that the Azerbaijani military had continued the "provocation" shooting, as of 5:30 p.m. local time, and used mortar guns.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry responded by saying that Armenian soldiers also used mortars and large-caliber weapons against the Azerbaijani army's positions.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, in turn, accused Yerevan of disinterest in the peace process.

"The fact that such provocations by Armenia took place in the face of serious calls for negotiations on a peace agreement by the international community shows that Armenia is not interested in the peace process.

Such military provocations of Armenia at the same time are accompanied by provocative political actions and statements," the ministry noted.

In September 2022, a new outbreak of hostilities between Yerevan and Baku broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of shelling and reported losses in their ranks. In December 2022, the Lachin corridor, the only road that links Armenia to the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, was blocked by a group of Azerbaijanis described by Baku as environmental activists.

Yerevan and Baku started peace agreement negotiations last year. At the beginning of February 2023, Yerevan received new peace treaty proposals from Azerbaijan and started to examine them. In the meantime, the UN's main judicial body ruled in February that Azerbaijan must ensure unimpeded movement along the Lachin Corridor. Armenia, in turn, demanded that Azerbaijan "cease its orchestration and support" of the blockade.