The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MOD) has reported the death of an Azerbaijani serviceman due to an incident on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border today (23 July) at approximately 16:00. The statement says that Warrant Officer Yagublu Farman was killed by “sniper fire from the opposite side”, after Armenian positions in the Gegharkunik province opened fire on Azerbaijani positions in the Kalbajar district. It says that Azerbaijani forces located in the area then carried out response measures, fully blaming Armenia for the provocation.
The Armenian MOD has said that at 17:00 today, Azerbaijani troops opened fire on Armenian positions in the Gegharkunik section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. It claims that this was preceded by shootings within the Azerbaijani military bases themselves, which it suggests, “may be due to an interpersonal incident between the Azerbaijani military”. The Armenian MOD states that it did not take counter action, “until the moment when the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire on the Armenian positions”.
In the same statement, the Armenian MOD reports that three Armenian servicemen were shot in “another provocation by the Azerbaijani side”, but that their wounds are not life threatening. It finishes by saying that the entire responsibility for the aggravation of the situation falls on the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan.