Clashes on Armenia-Azerbaijan border leave 3 dead, 4 wounded

Armenia’s Defense Ministry is reporting that three of its troops were killed and two more were wounded in clashes with Azerbaijani forces on the border between the two ex-Soviet nations

YEREVAN, Armenia -- Armenia's Defense Ministry said Wednesday that three of its troops were killed and two more were wounded in clashes with Azerbaijani forces on the border between the two ex-Soviet nations, which have been locked in a decades-long tug-of-war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said two of its servicemen were wounded Wednesday. Both countries have accused each other of starting the clashes. Azerbaijan said Armenian forces opened fire at its positions on the Kalbajar section of the border. The Armenian military said its personnel were attacked by Azerbaijani forces. Armenia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that “the Azerbaijani side has been deliberately initiating escalation," and the Foreign Ministry in Azerbaijan said in turn that “the responsibility for aggravating the situation by committing another provocation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border lies entirely with the military-political leadership of Armenia.”