Armenia calls on Azerbaijan to refrain from further escalation of tensions in Karabakh conflict zone
YEREVAN. Feb 25 (Interfax) - The Armenian side is observing the ceasefire in the zone of the Karabakh conflict and calling on the Azerbaijani side to refrain from any steps in further exacerbation of the situation, the Armenian Defense Ministry said.
"For several days, Azerbaijan's military and political leadership has been escalating the situation at the contact line of the Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forces and spreading misinformation. Following the losses it suffered last night, the Azerbaijani leadership is speaking about 'attacks' of the Armenian side, once again misleading its own people and the global community," the Armenian Defense Ministry said.
"The Armenian side is observing the ceasefire and calling on the Azerbaijani side to refrain from steps in further exacerbation of the situation. All responsibility for consequences of escalation of tensions on the contact line will rest with the military and political leadership of Azerbaijan," the ministry said.
Earlier, Baku accused the Armenian Armed Forces of organizing provocations on the contact line in Karabakh.
"In the early hours of February 25, the units of the Armenian Armed Forces attempted to penetrate the Azerbaijani positions in several directions for the purpose of committing large-scale provocations along the entire frontline. The Azerbaijani servicemen were constantly monitoring the enemy's movements and resolutely prevented the Armenian saboteurs' attempts to go deeper into our positions," the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry's press service said earlier on Saturday.
"Clashes resulted in losses on our part. The enemy is currently continuing to shell our positions from heavy artillery," the press service said.
The most severe armed clashes took place in the Khojavend-Fizuli section of the frontline, the press service said.
The unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh's Republic's Defense Ministry, in turn, accused the Azerbaijani Armed Forces of attempting an offensive in the early hours of Saturday.
"Around 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., Yerevan time, on February 25, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attempted an offensive using the relevant mine clearing vehicles and special equipment in the southeastern (Martuni) and eastern (Akhna) sectors of the contact line between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani forces," the press service for the unrecognized NKR's Defense Ministry said.
"Forward units of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's Defense Army [...] noticed the motions of the Azerbaijani special forces promptly and the enemy was driven back to the initial positions having suffered losses," the ministry said.
The Armenian side suffered no losses and no one was wounded, the press service said.
