TBILISI/BAKU—Armenia said on Tuesday that Azerbaijani gunfire near the tightly guarded border claimed the lives of four of its soldiers. This is the first known tragic event since the parties started talks last year to end more than 30 years of sporadic warfare.
Since 1988, when Armenia and Azerbaijan first went to war over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, fatal exchanges have frequently occurred along the closed, almost 1,000 km (621 mi) border; however, in recent months, the situation has stabilized amid peace efforts.
The episode on Tuesday was the largest since hundreds of people perished when Azerbaijan retook Karabakh in September, which led to the ethnic Armenian community in the territory fleeing.
At a battle station close to the southern Armenian town of Nerkin Hand, four troops had died and one had been injured, according to a statement from Armenia's Defense Ministry.
The border service of Azerbaijan announced in a statement that it had carried out "a revenge operation" in response to what it claimed to be a "provocation" carried out by Armenian soldiers the previous day.
“The military and political leadership of Armenia is fully responsible for the incident,” it said, adding that future provocations would face more serious measures.
The Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan reported that, around 400 kilometers (250 miles) northwest of Nerkin Hand, Baku's positions were fired upon by Armenian forces on Monday night. Armenia refuted the occurrence.
The ambassador-at-large for Armenia, Edmon Marukyan, made a statement accusing Azerbaijan of "criminal, aggressive behavior" and claiming Baku was looking for an excuse to strike Armenian soldiers.
The Kremlin, which maintains formal connections with both Azerbaijan and Armenia, urged moderation on both sides. The border guards from the Russian peacekeeping force that is still stationed in Karabakh assist in policing Armenia's borders.
The majority-Armenian territory of Azerbaijan, known as Nagorno-Karabakh, achieved de facto independence following a protracted conflict during the fall of the Soviet Union.
However, Azerbaijan swiftly retook Karabakh in September, which sparked a mass evacuation of nearly all 120,000 Armenians from the region and a renewed drive by both parties for a peace agreement.
Although both Armenia and Azerbaijan have expressed a desire to sign a peace treaty, they cannot agree on certain matters, such as controlling a few minor enclaves within their borders and precisely defining their borders.
Additionally, Azerbaijan aims to establish a customs-free transportation corridor that links its Nakhichevan exclave with the country's mainland via Armenian territory. Armenia has said that it must continue to be in charge of any transportation infrastructure located on its territory.
Recent months have seen a seeming stall in talks as both parties accuse one another of undermining diplomatic efforts.
