Four Armenian soldiers were killed on Wednesday after Azerbaijani troops opened fire in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to authorities in the breakaway region disputed by the two countries.
“Units of the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire on Armenian positions” in the Martouni and Martakert areas overnight, using artillery and drones, the separatist Defense Ministry said in a statement on Twitter.
“Four soldiers died as a result of this new Azerbaijani provocation,” the same source said.
This announcement comes as Washington welcomes new negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the aim of finding a solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
US diplomatic chief Antony Blinken met separately with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts Ararat Mirzoian and Djeyhoun Baeramov on Tuesday.
The talks are taking place behind closed doors and are expected to last until Thursday.
“We continue to believe that peace is within our reach and that direct dialogue is the key to resolving pending issues and achieving a lasting and dignified peace” for both parties, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday.
The United States had already promoted a meeting between the two ministers in Washington in early May.
Source: TSF
