Armenia denies yet another Azerbaijani allegation of a ceasefire violation

Armenia’s Defence Ministry has issued its 25th rebuttal of an Azerbaijani ceasefire violation accusation since the two countries ostensibly agreed on the text of a peace deal in March.

According to the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry, units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire on Azerbaijani positions located in the southeastern part of the border zone at around 22:35 on 18 April.

Armenia has called the accusation ‘disinformation’, noting that it ‘does not correspond to reality’.

The Armenian Defence Ministry also reiterated their reminder that the Office of the Prime Minister had proposed the establishment of a joint Armenia–Azerbaijan mechanism for the investigation of ceasefire violations, as well as their own offer to investigate ‘the facts’, should Azerbaijan provide evidence.

The spate of Azerbaijani ceasefire violation accusations have come at the same time as residents of various villages along the Armenia–Azerbaijan border have reported an increase in sounds of gunfire from Azerbaijan.

On two separate occasions, Armenia’s Defence Ministry has reported damage to buildings due to Azerabijani fire in Khnatsakh village in the Syunik Province. In both cases, the ministry attached photos of the damage to their official statements.

The EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) also recently announced an increase in the number of night patrols along the Armenian side of the Armenia–Azerbaijan border.

Armenia says Azerbaijani fire damaged building in border village

This is the second time Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of violating the ceasefire since agreeing to a peace deal on 13 March.

OC MediaXandie (Alexandra) Kuenning