Baku says Armenian forces fired at Azerbaijani military positions

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Baku on Tuesday said that Armenian forces opened fire at Azerbaijani military positions in the country's west.

“Units of the Armenian armed forces intermittently fired with small arms from their positions located in the direction of the Garaiman settlement of Basarkechar district to the positions of our army located in the Astaf settlement of Dashkasan district,” a statement by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry read.

The statement further said that military positions in the Aghdam region were also fired upon by members of illegal Armenian armed groups in the territory of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed.

“Adequate response measures have been taken in all directions mentioned by our departments,” the statement said.

It also said the illegal Armenian armed groups tried to install long-term fortifications in front of Azerbaijani positions located in the Shusha, Khojavend and Aghdam regions, but that these efforts were prevented by measures taken by Azerbaijani forces.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics 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, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The Russia-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.

Despite the ongoing talks on a peace agreement, tensions between the neighboring countries increased in recent months over the Lachin corridor, the only land route giving Armenia access to Karabakh.