Azerbaijan says its soldiers killed, injured in attack by Armenian forces in East Zangezur

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijan on Tuesday said that its soldiers were killed and injured in an attack by Armenian forces in the East Zangezur region.

“On April 11, the Armenian armed forces units from the positions in the direction of the Digh settlement of the Gorus region using small arms subjected to intensive fire the Azerbaijan Army's opposing positions stationed in the direction of the Lachin region,” a statement by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry read.

The statement said that Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and injured as a result of the “provocation” committed by the Armenian forces, without providing the number of casualties.

“The Azerbaijan Army Units took adequate retaliatory measures,” it added.

In another statement, the ministry said that the Armenian forces also suffered "a large number of losses" due to the measures taken, adding that further information will be provided to the public.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, in 44 days of clashes, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages and settlements from Armenian occupation. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.