YEREVAN. – The Azerbaijani armed forces on Wednesday launched a provocative advance near the Yeraskh settlement of Armenia, as a result of which Private Samvel Alaverdyan, a contract soldier of Armenia, was fatally shot by a sniper. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia has noted this in a statement.

The statement added that these provocative actions, which took place after the infiltration of Azerbaijani army units into the sovereign territory of Armenia—the Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces—, clearly show that Baku is trying to create new sources of tension, disrupting regional peace and security.

The MFA of Armenia strongly condemns this aggression against Armenia, which is also a gross violation of the basic principles of international law.

As per the Armenian foreign ministry, taking such steps by the military and political leadership of Azerbaijan may lead to further aggravation of the situation, and the entire accountability for the consequences lies with the Azerbaijani authorities.