BAKU (Sputnik) — The Armenian armed forces opened fire on Tuesday at the settlements on the contact line in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, there are killed and wounded, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said.
"At this time, shelling is taking place on settlements near the village of Alkhanly in the Fizulinsky district. The shelling is carried out by artillery, there are killed and wounded among the villagers," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said that the attack claimed lives of two civilians, including a two-year-old girl, while a woman, 52, was taken to hospital with injuries.
The ministry added that the shelling was reported to the relevant international bodies.
Meanwhile, the defense ministry of unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh republic said that it had opened fire at targets near Alkhanly in retaliation to an attack by Azerbaijani forces' multiple rocket launcher. The ministry added that Nagorno-Karabakh forces had destroyed Azerbaijan's firing positions.
Azerbaijan's Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh proclaimed its independence in 1991, triggering a military conflict that led to Azerbaijan losing control over the region. The violence between Azerbaijani and Nagorno-Karabakh forces escalated on April 2, 2016, leading to multiple casualties. The sides agreed to a ceasefire on April 5, but clashes have continued.
