Armenian artillery shells Azerbaijani positions

On July 12, the Armenian artillery shelled the Azerbaijani positions in the Tovuz district. The Azerbaijani military responded with counterfire and prevented the advancement of the Armenian armed forces. As a result of the fire exchange, the Armenian troops failed to advance and were forced to retreat with no territorial gains. Currently, Azerbaijan’s armed forces fully control the situation on the ground.

According to Xinhua, four Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in a fresh wave of clashes on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border.

Three soldiers were killed on Sunday and one on Monday in artillery fire near the northern Tavush region, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense said on Monday.

According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, at least two Armenian police officers were wounded in the clashes.

The two countries have traded accusations over which side started the fighting and violated the ceasefire.

Both countries said the situation is under their control.

The deadly clashes were reportedly erupted on Sunday in the Tavush region between the two countries.

As a member of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Minsk Group co-chairs, Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday expressed concern in a statement over the escalation of the clashes and urged the two countries to exercise restraint.

“The attack by Armenia, with the use of artillery, against the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, constitutes aggression, an act of the use of force, and another provocation,”

“The provocation by Armenia, perpetrated along the border, is yet another evidence that the official Yerevan is disinterested in the negotiated settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Armenia launched this offensive and a provocation during the time when the international community is fighting the COVID-19. That and continued violations of the ceasefire by Armenia proves that Armenia’s support of the initiative by the UN Secretary-General on a global ceasefire due to COVID-19 is nothing but hypocrisy,”

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes along the borders.

Read alsoAmbassador of Azerbaijan: “We have every reason to be optimistic about the two nations’ future”

Source: Xinhua, Parvana Garayeva