Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of continuing with armed provocations
A destroyed army mobile field kitchen is seen in Mataghis, a village situated in the Tartar District of Azerbaijan, May 20, 2016. (Getty Images)


Azerbaijan on Monday accused Armenia of continuing with armed provocations, as Armenian forces fired upon Azerbaijani army positions in two different locations, Baku's Defense Ministry said.

Armenian military positions in Vedi city opened fire on Azerbaijani positions in Nakhchivan's Heydarabad village in Sadarak city, and Kalbajar's Yukhari Ayrim village during afternoon hours, a statement said.

The Azerbaijani army, which responded with retaliatory fire, reported no casualties, it added.

Earlier in the day, Azerbaijan also said that its army posts in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic came under fire by Armenian forces early Monday.

"On August 2, at about 3:27 a.m. (11:27 p.m. GMT), the Armenian armed forces' units from the positions near the Arazdeyen village of the Vedi region using small arms subjected to fire the positions of the Azerbaijan army in the direction of the Heydarabad settlement of the Sadarak region of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Azerbaijan reported no casualties and said it responded with retaliatory fire.

"Currently, the situation in this direction is stable. Our units control the operational situation," it added.

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.

New clashes erupted in September 2020, and ended on November 10 with a Russia-brokered cease-fire.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from Armenia's nearly three-decade occupation.

The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces withdrew in line with the agreement.

A joint Turkish-Russian center was established to monitor the truce. Russian peacekeeping troops have also been deployed in the region.

Most recently, Armenia has reiterated its request for Russian military support. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday proposed that Russian border forces be stationed along the length of its border with Azerbaijan amid rising tensions between Yerevan and Baku, the TASS news agency reported.

Armenia has frequently called for military support from Russia. In a fresh attempt of expanding its sphere of influence in the Caucasus region, Russia in May occupied two new sites in the south of Armenia near the Azerbaijani border as an "additional security guarantee" following last year's conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

It also said it would continue to mediate and provide advisory assistance aimed at reaching an agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as the two countries look to settle border disputes that are nearly three decades old.

However, the one-sided and partial attitude of Russian military elements deployed in the Karabakh region to monitor a cease-fire deal signed in November in favor of the Armenian side has raised eyebrows in Azerbaijan.

Ankara has pledged its full support to Baku in its efforts to liberate its lands from Armenian occupation. Following the November 10 signing of a Russia-brokered agreement to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution, Turkey agreed with Russia that its troops would also monitor the cease-fire. Ankara and Moscow signed an agreement to establish a joint observation center in Nagorno-Karabakh as soon as possible.