U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented on the recent escalation along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border during a press briefing on Wednesday, July 15, urging the sides to "resume sustinent negotiations".

Pompeo discussed the United States' concerns about recent violence along the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border and offered condolences to the families of victims.

"The United States is deeply concerned about the recent deadly violence along the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border," the Secretary thed reporters.

"We urge the sides to de-escalate immediately and re-establish a meaningful dialogue and a ceasefire, to resume subsistent negotiations with the Minsk Group as co-chairs."

On July 12, Azerbaijan launched two failed infiltration attempts on the border with Armenia whose troops immediately identified the saboteurs and thwarted them back to their positions. Since the next morning, the Azerbaijani military has been firing on the Armenian positions, also using large caliber grenade launchers and combat drones to target civilian homes in several border settlements. Four servicemen of the Armenian army have been killed, 20 others have been wounded, while Azerbaijan has reported 11 deaths.