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Baku rejects reports of 13 Azerbaijani drones downed by Armenian forces

The Armenian Defense Ministry earlier claimed that 13 Azerbaijani drones had been downed during the border fighting

BAKU, July 16. /TASS/. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry on Thursday rejected Armenia’s reports that 13 Azerbaijani drones were allegedly downed by Armenian armed forces in border clashes.

"This is misinformation. We are stating that all the drones in service with the Azerbaijani army units are operational and there are no losses," spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry Vagif Dargyakhly said.

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Baku reports renewed clashes on Azerbaijan-Armenia border

Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Ovannisyan earlier claimed that 13 Azerbaijani drones had been downed during the border fighting.

The situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border escalated on July 12.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry reported on Sunday that Armenian army units had tried to attack Azerbaijan’s positions at the Tovuz section of the border with the use of artillery. According to the ministry, the clashes continued throughout the night. Azerbaijan reported that eleven Azerbaijani servicemen, including Major-General Polad Gashimov, were killed during the three days of fighting.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry said, in turn, that the border situation had aggravated after Azerbaijan’s attempted attack. According to the data of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, four Armenian servicemen were killed while two policemen and three soldiers received minor wounds.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh broke out in February 1988, when the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region declared its secession from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. During the armed conflict of 1992-1994, Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabah and seven neighboring areas. The negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the conflict under the OSCE Minsk Group headed by three co-chairs (Russia, US and France) have been going on since 1992.

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