YEREVAN. – After the provocation it launched on Thursday morning, the Azerbaijani side now attempts to put the accountability for what occurred on the Armenian side.
The Republic of Armenia Ministry of Defense (RA MOD) noted the aforesaid in a new statement.
“We announce yet again that irrefutable evidence regarding the Azerbaijani side being the aggressor are available at the disposal of the Armed Forces of Armenia. The RA Ministry of Defense has officially announced that the Azerbaijani side suffered losses during the provocation. The RA military servicemen were killed at the place of their service.
“Against this backdrop, [Azerbaijan’s] allegations about the actions of a reconnaissance team of the Armenian side, and an Azerbaijani soldier going missing, become ridiculous.
“The RA Ministry of Defense reaffirms its position regarding the need for the introduction of international mechanisms for investigation, to prevent such provocations and to ensure the controllability of the steady fulfillment of the internationally assumed obligations for the ceasefire,” reads the MOD new statement.
As reported earlier, Azerbaijani troops launched a diversionary infiltration attempt, on early Thursday morning, at the RA state border, southeast of Chinari village in Tavush Province.
Artsrun Hovhannisyan, Spokesperson of the RA Minister of Defense, informed that the Armenian armed forces entered into a battle with the adversary. “Snipers’ and grenade launchers’ fires are shot, which continue,” he noted. “The RA Armed Forces fully control the situation by preventing the encroachment of the adversary.”
The Azerbaijani armed forces were driven back, having suffered injuries and casualties—including in the Armenian military positions, informed the Armenia MOD. “The RA Ministry of Defense possesses irrefutable evidence of RA state border violation by the Azerbaijani side,” reads the MOD statement. “The military and political leadership of Azerbaijan bears the full accountability for the provocation that took place.”
As a result of this infiltration attempt, however, the Armenian armed forces suffered three casualties: Senior Lieutenant Shavarsh Melikyan, and Privates Edgar Narayan and Erik Abovyan.
