Fresh clashes erupted between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops on Wednesday, the Armenian defence ministry said, a day after scores were killed in the deadliest fighting between the neighbours since 2020.
At least 49 Armenian and 50 Azeri military were killed, each side has said, blaming the other for the renewed fighting, which prompted an appeal for calm from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Azerbaijan used artillery, mortar and small arms in its attack on Wednesday morning, the Armenian defence ministry said in a statement.
“The situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border remained tense,” it added, restating Armenia’s position that Azerbaijan launched aggression on its sovereign territory.
Reuters could not immediately reach Azerbaijan officials to seek response.
Clash erupts between Kyrgyz, Tajik border guards
Kyrgyz and Tajik border guards exchanged fire on Wednesday after a dispute over the border between the two Central Asian nations, officials on both sides said.
The clash, which takes place on the eve of a regional security body meeting and against the background of fighting between Russia and Ukraine as well as Azerbaijan and Armenia, started after Kyrgyz border guards accused the Tajiks of taking positions at a part of the border that has not been demarcated.
Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are allied with Russia and host Russian military bases, but fighting over border issues is frequent and last year almost resulted in an all-out war between the former Soviet republics.
The Tajik side said in a statement Kyrgyz border guards opened unprovoked gun and mortar fire on their outpost. Tajikistan’s border force said one border guard was killed in the incident and another two were injured, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Kyrgyzstan did not immediately report any casualties.
Kyrgyz and Tajik leaders are expected to attend a summit of the Shanghai Security Organisation in Uzbekistan this week alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping as well as a host of other world leaders.
(Reuters)
