Jeyhun Aliyev
27 May 2021•Update: 27 May 2021
ANKARA
Azerbaijan announced on Thursday that its forces had prevented a border "provocation" by Armenia in the region of Kalbajar.
"On May 27, at about 03.00, a reconnaissance-sabotage group of the Armenian armed forces attempted to enter our territory in the direction of the Yukhari Ayrim settlement of the Kalbajar region in the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border," said the country's Defense Ministry in a statement.
"As a result of urgent measures, 6 enemy servicemen who tried to mine the supply routes leading to the positions of the Azerbaijan Army on the border were surrounded, neutralized, and taken prisoner," the statement added.
It also underlined that Azerbaijani forces had halted the movement of several Armenian combat vehicles, including tanks, that were "congested" near the border in the morning.
"Currently, the operational situation in this direction is under the control of our units," it said.
'Acts of terrorism and sabotage'
In a separate statement, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said that a reconnaissance and sabotage group" of Armenian forces, consisting of two groups, "infiltrated" into the territory of Azerbaijan and tried to carry out "sabotage terrorist activities" in the territory aimed at planting landmines in the roads.
"These groups were found, some of them escaped, and 6 people (including 2 people from one group and 4 people from another) were detained and disarmed by the Azerbaijani Army," said the statement.
The ministry recalled that Armenia has been pursuing a "policy of deliberately increasing tensions" in the border areas of the two countries for some time.
It also added that the infiltration of the reconnaissance group into the territory of Azerbaijan and the attempts to plant landmines in the territory and other sabotage attempts are regarded as "acts of terrorism and sabotage."
"While Azerbaijan has suffered from landmines planted by Armenia for many years, sabotage and further attempts to mine passages carried out by the saboteur group of Armenia on the territory of Azerbaijan could pose a serious threat to the lives of Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians in the future," it said.
The statement also emphasized that Azerbaijan supports the de-escalation of tension on the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border through negotiations and supports the calls of the international community regarding delimitation and demarcation of borders between two countries.
"Attempts to violate the borders of Azerbaijan are unacceptable. Armenia must refrain from actions aimed at increasing tensions on the border between two countries and respect the borders of the neighboring state," it added.
Relations between the two former Soviet republics, Armenia and Azerbaijan, have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
Last year, the conflict escalated again and lasted six weeks, ending up with a Russian-brokered truce on Nov. 10.
During that time, Azerbaijan liberated several strategic cities and nearly 300 of its settlements and villages from Armenian nearly three-decade occupation.
The Nov. 10 cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces withdrew in line with the agreement.
A joint Turkish-Russian center was established to monitor the cease-fire. Russian peacekeeping troops have also been deployed in the region.
