RA general staff: Azerbaijan responsible for frontline incident

PanARMENIAN.Net - There was firing at the Armenian-Azeri border and at the NKR-Azeri contact line today but the situation is under control, RA armed forces general staff chief, colonel general Seyran Ohanyan told a news conference in Yerevan.



"On March 4, Armenia tried to contact the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry but the request to stop the attack was neglected. Therefore, the NKR army had to commence fire and hurl the enemy back. Azeri armed forces leaders should understand that the NKR defense army is stands firm to defend the homeland. The responsibility for the incident lies on the Azeri authorities," Ohanyan said.



He reminded that the ceasefire agreement prohibits use of artillery. "The Azeri military enabled artillery and the Armenian forces had to fire back," he said. "Shot are frequent at the Armenian-Azeri border but skirmishes do not last long."



"As to warlike statements by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, they are targeted both at the international community and the Azeri population. You should not forget that Azerbaijan will hold presidential election in autumn and Aliyev uses all tools to influence the nation," he said, adding, "Azerbaijan is arming and preparing for war. The latest incident was Baku's attempt to test the NKR defense army's efficiency. The Armenian military should be on alert to rebuff any attack of the enemy."