Tension escalates as Armenia, Azerbaijan trade accusations over military buildup
- 8 September, 04:30
Armenia and Azerbaijan have accused each other of amassing troops and escalating tension on the border.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on September 7 accused Azerbaijan of aggravating the political and military situation in the region. Addressing a government session on Thursday, Pashinyan said Azerbaijan has been accumulating troops on the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border for several days. He also accused Azerbaijan of carrying out political provocation that include “claiming Armenia’s sovereign territories”.
"It is obvious that by these actions Azerbaijan demonstrates its aspirations for new military provocations against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. To justify this provocation, false theses have been put into circulation," Pashinyan said.
Reminding the cross-border shooting of September 1 that resulted in the killing of three Armenian soldiers and injuring of several Azerbaijani soldiers, Pashinyan described it as Azerbaijan’s “provocation”. The Armenian leader also addressed the blockade of the Lachin corridor that has been closed since December, saying that these actions demonstrate Azerbaijan’s aspirations for new military provocations against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pashinyan’s allegations of deliberate provocations were mirrored by Azerbaijani officials. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry published a statement on September 8 claiming that Armenia in recent days had stepped up military provocations as well as military construction works along the undemarcated Armenian-Azerbaijani state border and in the Karabakh region.
"Dozens of tanks and other armored vehicles, more than 200 units of heavy artillery, including multiple launch rocket systems, dozens of units of various electronic warfare equipment, about 200 mortars are currently deployed on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed," the ministry’s statement reads.
The statement was released following a briefing held by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev and presidential envoy for special assignments Elchin Amirbekov.
“In recent days, both there has been an Armenia is openly digging new trenches, erecting fortifications, building up personnel and military equipment to engage in a reckless military gamble," the Foreign Ministry said.
