Armenia, Azerbaijan Trade Accusations of Border Shelling

By Staff, Agencies

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces shelled each other’s positions in the border area early on Thursday, with both sides reporting injuries among their troops.

Armenia claimed that Azerbaijani military launched an artillery and mortar attack on its servicemen near the village of Sotk around 6:00am local time.

“The shelling continued for several hours and wounded at least three Armenian troops,” the country’s defense ministry said, adding that “it would report on their condition later”. It also accused Azerbaijan of targeting an ambulance as it was evacuating one of the injured soldiers.

It further added: “The units of the Armenian Armed Forces are taking appropriate preventive and defense measures” in response to the actions by the neighboring country. 

The situation in other areas along the border between the two former Soviet republics remains “stable,” it mentioned.

Meanwhile, Baku insisted it was responding to an attack by Armenian forces late on Wednesday, in which an Azerbaijani soldier sustained a serious head injury as a result of “intense shelling.” Yerevan has rejected this claim.

Mortar and artillery fire continued from the other side of the border on Thursday morning, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said, adding that it was performing “the needed countermeasures.”

Armenia has carried out “a deliberate provocation” and has “once again violated the ceasefire,” the ministry insisted.

Despite the flareup, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he still intends to travel to Brussels on Sunday for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. However, he made it clear that the possibility of a peace deal being signed during the meeting was “very low” as the draft treaty still needs work.