In the first significant incident since negotiations started, two Armenian troops were killed by Azerbaijani fire

TBILIS: The first deadly event since the two sides started discussing a solution to end more than 30 years of intermittent conflict last year was reported by Armenia on Tuesday, when it announced that two of its troops had been killed by Azerbaijani fire near the highly militarized border.

At a battle station close to the southern Armenian town of Nerkin Hand, two of Armenia’s troops were killed and numerous more injured, according to a statement sent by the country’s defense ministry on the messaging app Telegram.
The border agency of Azerbaijan stated in a statement that it carried out “a revenge operation” as payback for what it claimed to be a “provocation” carried out by Armenian soldiers the previous day.
It threatened to respond to future “provocations” with “more serious and decisive measures from now on.”
“The military and political leadership of Armenia is fully responsible for the incident.”
According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Baku’s fortifications were shot upon by Armenian troops on Monday night, around 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of Nerkin Hand. The Defense Ministry of Armenia refuted reports of such an occurrence.
Nagorno-Karabakh has been the source of strife between Azerbaijan and Armenia for more than 30 years.
When Azerbaijan launched a swift attack to retake Karabakh in September, almost all of the Armenian residents of the region fled quickly, and both parties intensified their efforts to negotiate a formal peace settlement.
Although deadly gunfire has often occurred between Armenia and Azerbaijan for many years, since the discussions began, the border has become more tranquil, with minimal significant violence since Karabakh’s fall in September 2023.
Both sides have been blaming one other of undermining the diplomatic process, and the peace negotiations have seemed to be at a standstill in recent months.