News From Armenia : The first tragic incident since the two sides started talks last year to end more than 30 years of intermittent war, Armenia claimed on Tuesday that two of its soldiers had been killed by Azerbaijani fire near the heavily militarized border.
Two of Armenia’s soldiers were killed and several more were injured at a fighting station close to the southern Armenian town of Nerkin Hand, according to a statement released by the Defense Ministry of Armenia on the messaging app Telegram.
The border agency of Azerbaijan said in a statement that it carried out “a revenge operation” as payback for what it claimed to be a “provocation” carried out by Armenian soldiers the previous day.
It threatened to respond to future “provocations” with “more serious and decisive measures from now on.”
“The military and political leadership of Armenia is fully responsible for the incident.”
According to Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, Baku’s positions were shot upon by Armenian forces on Monday night, around 300 kilometers from Nerkin Hand, along a northwest stretch of the border. The Defense Ministry of Armenia refuted reports of such an occurrence.
Nagorno-Karabakh has been the source of strife between Azerbaijan and Armenia for more than 30 years.
When Azerbaijan launched a swift offensive to retake Karabakh in September, nearly all of the Armenian residents of the region fled quickly, and both parties intensified their efforts to negotiate a formal peace settlement.
Although deadly gunfire has frequently occurred between Armenia and Azerbaijan for many years, since the discussions began, the border has grown more tranquil, with minimal significant violence since Karabakh’s collapse in September 2023.
Both sides have been blaming each other of undermining the diplomatic process, and the peace negotiations have seemed to be at a standstill in recent months.