Azerbaijan and Armenia accuse each other of new shelling attacks on near-border villages

The Azerbaijani troops shelled the city of Byrd in the Tavush Region, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Armenia reported. In its turn, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of a shelling attack on the border village of Dondar Gushchu.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 12 and 13, armed clashes took place on the border in the Tovuz District of Azerbaijan and the Tavush Region of Armenia. 13 people fell victim to the armed clashes. The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan claimed that the Armenian armed forces shelled the villages of Agdam and Dondar Gushchu in the Tovuz District. Armenia reported about a shelling attack on the Chinari village in the Tavush Region and called Baku's statement about the serious losses of the Armenian side a disinformation.

According to Shushan Stepanyan, the press secretary of the Armenian MoD, "the enemy used a drone and struck the civilian infrastructure of the community." Moreover, at night, the Armenian armed forces noticed the movement of an enemy tank and opened fire on it.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia has also stated that Baku "continues aggressive actions on the border."

"A large-scale war is of no benefit for Azerbaijan, but if the authorities of the country take such an unreasonable step, they will pay dearly for it," MP Mikael Zolyan said.

In its turn, the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan reported about "continued fierce armed clashes on the section of the state border in the Tovuz District."

Khikmet Gadjiev, the assistant to the Presidential of Azerbaijan, accused the Armenian side of escalating the conflict "amid the aggravation of the socio-economic problems in the country."

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has condemned Azerbaijan "for provocations" and associated the aggravation of the situation on the border with the internal problems of Azerbaijan.