YEREVAN. – Armenia strictly condemns rude provocations by Azerbaijan for the recent days, as a result of which casualties and injuries are reported among Armenian servicemen, Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian said at a joint press conference with the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday.

Armenian FM said that Azerbaijan attempts to throw tension on the border with Armenia, in addition to the constant ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

 “Such actions by Azerbaijan jeopardize the negotiation process, peace and stability throughout the region. And the only side responsible for it is Azerbaijan,” Nalbandian said. 

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, an Azerbaijani diversion operation claimed the lives of three Armenian soldiers and wounded six others in the early morning hours on Monday.

The killed soldiers are: Hrach Sargsyan, Zohrab Balabekyan, and Karen Davtyan.

The wounded military servicemen are: Senior Lieutenant Mushegh Nurbekyan, and conscripts Igit Hovhannisyan, Maxim Melkonyan, Sedrak Shahbazyan, Artak Mnatsakanyan and Koryun Iritsyan.

The MOD issued a statement that on Monday the Azerbaijani side yet again violated the ceasefire at the line of contact between the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, in the northeastern sector. It attempted to infiltrate to the Armenian military bases stationed in the direction of Berdavan and Chinari villages of the Tavush Region.