BAKU, April 11. /TASS/. Three Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in a shootout on the border with Armenia, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said on Tuesday.

"Three Azerbaijani servicemen were killed while thwarting a provocation staged by the Armenian side," it said.

According to the ministry, Armenian soldiers opened gunfire from their positions near the village of Dyg of the Gori region at the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the Lachin direction at 4:20 p.m. local time (3:20 p.m. Moscow time) on April 11. After that, the Armenian side used mortars and heavy weapons.

"The provocation of the Armenian side was thwarted, its firing positions were neutralized," it said, adding that the situation is relatively calm now, with the Azerbaijani army controlling the situation.