US calls for immediate end to hostilities on Azerbaijani-Armenian border

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Monday for an immediate end to military hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia following clashes on their border.

"The United States is deeply concerned about reports of attacks along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including reported strikes against settlements and civilian infrastructure inside Armenia," said Blinken in a statement.

"As we have long made clear, there can be no military solution to the conflict. We urge an end to any military hostilities immediately," he added.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said that the Armenian military carried out extensive provocations in the evening hours on the border in the direction of Dashkesan, Kalbajar and Lachin.

The ministry said sabotage groups of the Armenian army laid mines on land and roads between the positions of the Azerbaijani army in various directions, adding as a result of measures taken by the Azerbaijani military to address the situation, intense clashes broke out between troops of the two countries.

It added that there were casualties among military personnel from both sides.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

In 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia, and the fighting ended with a deal brokered by Russia.