3 Azerbaijani troops wounded by mines laid by Armenian forces in Karabakh

BAKU, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan said Saturday that three of its soldiers had been wounded by mines laid by Armenian forces in the region of Karabakh.

A truck carrying supplies to positions near the village of Allahgulular in Shusha province hit a mine laid by Armenian forces, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Two soldiers in the vehicle were injured in the blast that rendered the vehicle unusable, the statement said, adding that another soldier who went to the aid of the wounded was injured after stepping on an anti-personnel mine.

The ministry said Armenia bears full responsibility for the incident.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, in 44 days of clashes, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages and settlements from Armenian occupation. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.