Armenia Says Azerbaijan Used Artillery, Armored Vehicles at Border

YEREVAN (Sputnik) - The Armenian Defence Ministry accused Azerbaijan of using artillery, armoured vehicles, and different firearms at the mutual border on Tuesday.

"As of 14:00, the situation in the eastern direction of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border continues to be tense. As it was already reported, the subdivisions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces once again resorted to provocation, attacking the Armenian positions located in that direction. The enemy uses artillery, armoured vehicles, firearms of different calibres," the ministry said in a statement.

It also said that at least four Armenians were injured in clashes on the border.

The Azerbaijani side incurred losses in armoured vehicles after a massive shooting, the ministry added.

Armenia is asking Russia to help it defend its territorial integrity as per the 1997 bilateral agreement and is preparing a written request, Armen Grigoryan, the secretary of the Armenian Security Council, said on Tuesday.

"As the attack [by Azerbaijan] was against Armenia's sovereign territory, we are requesting that Russia defend Armenia's territorial integrity within the framework of the 1997 agreement. This a verbal request that will be made in writing," Grigoryan said in a televised statement.

Yerevan also called on the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and the OSCE Minsk Group to address the situation on the border with Azerbaijan.

On Monday, Armenian Prime Minister Niko Pashinyan said that Azerbaijani troops had invaded Armenia on Sunday at one of the border stretches. He added that he had dismissed Defence Minister Arshak Karapetyan and appointed Suren Papikyan, the vice prime minister, to the post.

Last week, the Armenian Defence Ministry said that it foiled the attempts of the Azerbaijani armed forces to move their positions eastward near the border.

Baku and Yerevan have been in a decades-long conflict over Azerbaijan's Armenian-dominated Nagorno-Karabakh region, with sporadic clashes and even massive escalations of tensions taking place from time to time.