BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11– In a fresh escalation of border tensions, Armenian forces opened fire on Azerbaijani military positions near the Chambarak district early Friday morning, according to a statement from Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry.
The attack, which began at 09:55 a.m. (GMT+4), involved intermittent gunfire from small arms aimed at Azerbaijani border units.
The situation marks another flashpoint in the long-standing conflict between the two South Caucasus nations.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry dismissed allegations from Yerevan claiming that Azerbaijani units had targeted residential areas in the Khanazakh settlement, calling the statements “baseless” and part of an orchestrated campaign of misinformation.
“The Armenian Ministry of Defense is attempting to mislead the international community with false claims about civilian targets being hit,” the Azerbaijani side asserted. “Our armed forces do not and will not fire on civilians or non-military structures.”
Officials in Baku emphasized that any military response was strictly limited to defending their positions and was in direct reaction to Armenian provocation.
Analysts suggest such claims from Armenia might be part of a broader strategy to draw international sympathy or justify potential escalations.
Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan have seen repeated flare-ups despite efforts to broker long-term peace.
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While occasional clashes occur, accusations about civilian harm often raise alarm bells among global observers.
Historical disputes, particularly over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, continue to fuel distrust and armed incidents on both sides.
With military engagements near sensitive border zones on the rise, experts urge both nations to resume dialogue under international supervision to avoid further destabilization in the region.
