Azerbaijan Accuses Armenia of Transportation of Military Equipment to Karabakh

On March 5, the Press Office of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that they had received operational information regarding the transportation of military equipment, ammunition, and personnel from the Republic of Armenia to the territories of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping forces are temporarily stationed, using the Khankendi-Khalfali-Turshsu dirt road.

"On the morning of March 5, to verify the received information, the Azerbaijan Army Units attempted to stop and inspect the vehicles transporting illegal military supplies. The opposing side opened fire, and there were casualties and injuries from both sides due to the firefight," the report stated.

It said: "The Azerbaijani side brings to the attention of the command of the Russian peacekeeping forces that the implementation of the provisions of the Trilateral Statement must be unconditionally and completely ensured. We remind the command of the Russian peacekeeping forces once again that the transportation of military and other purposed means on other routes is absolutely inadmissible. We recall that the facts of the transportation of weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment, including mines, fuel, and manpower from Armenia to the Karabakh economic region, have been noticed before."

"The incident that occurred today demonstrates the importance of establishing a relevant checkpoint by Azerbaijan on the Lachin-Khankendi [Stepanakert in Armenian] road. The fact that Armenia is still transporting military supplies to the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan is a continuation of this country's aggression and terror policy against Azerbaijan," the information added.

Later, the Azerbaijani defense ministry reported two dead and two wounded soldiers as a result of the clash with the Armenian side. 

Armenia Blames Baku of Sabotage

On the same day, the Press Office of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported: "As a result of the sabotage attack carried out by the armed forces of Azerbaijan in [the separatist] Nagorno-Karabakh on March 5, three employees of the passport and visa department of the [de-facto] Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Internal Affairs were killed, and one was injured."

"The facts prove that this is a provocation pre-planned and instructed by the top leadership of Azerbaijan. After the incident, the official bodies of Azerbaijan spread information that they allegedly received operational information that weapons, ammunition, and personnel were being transferred from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh and implemented this operational information. The official version put forward by Azerbaijan is absurd. They did not present and cannot present any facts and justifications to prove that hypothesis. This comes less than two weeks after the International Court of Justice ruled that Azerbaijan's absurd claims about alleged landmines by Armenia were rejected," the report added.

"The video in the hands of the Nagorno-Karabakh police proves that the Azerbaijani subversive group attacked the UAZ minibus, in which there were four employees of the Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Internal Affairs, who were on their way from Stepanakert to the Nagorno-Karabakh villages of Hin Shen and Mets Shen. Moreover, the videos prove that there was nothing else in UAZ except service documents and a small weapon," it said.

"The mentioned actions of Azerbaijan are a practical denial of Baku's sincerity regarding the establishment of peace and stability in the region. This once again shows the need for guarantees of the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the need for international involvement in them," the information concluded.

Armenian Foreign Ministry described the Azerbaijani actions as terrorism and practical denial of Baku's sincerity regarding the establishment of peace and stability in the region.