Armenia and Azerbaijan have informed about an escalation on the border — they accuse each other of shelling

The Ministry of Defense of Armenia stated that the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan have been shelling Armenian positions with mortars and artillery in the direction of Sotka in the Gegharkunik region of the country since morning.

This was reported by "Radio Azatutyun".

The press secretary of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, Aram Torosyan, said that as of 08:00, there are three wounded on the Armenian side.

According to him, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan also opened fire in the direction of the ambulance, where the wounded serviceman was.

As of 09:00, Azerbaijani units continue to conduct artillery and mortar fire on Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotka, the Defense Ministry of Armenia noted.

The Ministry of Defense of Armenia also denied the information spread by the Azerbaijani media that the Armenian side uses Iranian drones.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan reported that a serviceman of the emergency service of the Azerbaijani army was seriously wounded in the head by aimed fire. Baku accused Yerevan of violating the ceasefire regime.

"Since the morning of May 11, the armed forces of Armenia, escalating the situation even more, have been shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from positions in the Zod direction of the Basarkechar district. Units of the Azerbaijani army are taking the necessary measures in response," the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan said in a statement.

• In 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh, with the support of Armenia, declared independence from Azerbaijan. This led to hostilities that lasted until 1994. The armed conflict ended with the signing of the Bishkek Protocol on Armistice and Ceasefire, but armed clashes occur periodically between the parties. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
• On September 27, 2020, the largest military conflict in recent years broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh, which lasted for a month and a half. The sides used tanks, heavy artillery and aviation. About 7 000 people died during the conflict.
• On the night of November 10, representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia (as a mediator) signed a statement on ending the war in Karabakh. According to the agreements, 1 960 Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan won the right to occupy three districts — Kelbajar, Aghdam, and Lachin.
• Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said that this decision was very difficult for him, but there was no alternative. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev claimed that Pashinyan was "forced" to sign a document that was "maximum beneficial" for Baku.