ISTANBUL

Azerbaijan announced on Thursday that its military positions near its western border with Armenia were targeted by Armenian forces, escalating tensions between the two nations. 

According to a statement by Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry, Armenian troops opened fire on Azerbaijani forces stationed near the settlement of Zivel in Kalbajar at 9:55 a.m. local time (0555 GMT). The ministry added that Azerbaijani troops responded with "adequate retaliatory measures" in the area.

However, the Armenian Defense Ministry denied the allegations, dismissing the claims as inaccurate. "The Baku statement does not correspond to reality," the ministry said.

Tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been a constant since 1991, when Armenia seized control of Karabakh, a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven surrounding territories, including Kalbajar. Much of this land was reclaimed by Azerbaijan in 2020 during a 44-day conflict, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace deal. The agreement set the stage for ongoing border negotiations and normalization efforts.

In September of last year, Azerbaijan secured full control over Karabakh after a military operation led to the surrender of separatist forces in the region.