Armenia and Azerbaijan have each accused the other of beginning an exchange of fire around the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region that resulted in deaths on both sides.
Defense ministries from both countries issued statements on Tuesday afternoon saying an unspecified number of their own troops had been killed in a clash close to the contested Lachin Corridor. The two South Caucasus countries—both formerly part of the Soviet Union—have fought multiple wars over the last 35 years for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but home to a mainly ethnic Armenian population.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have held several rounds of peace talks mediated by the European Union and the United States. Last month, Pashinyan noted some progress in the peace process, but said “fundamental problems” remain because “Azerbaijan is trying to put forward territorial claims, which is a red line to Armenia.”
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