Baku says Armenian sabotage group tried to infiltrate Azerbaijani territory, Yerevan refutes claim

“On August 16 at about 11:15 a.m. (10:15 Moscow time a.m.), a sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armenian armed forces, taking advantage of the gaps between the combat positions of the Azerbaijani army located in the direction of the Istisu settlement of the Kalbajar district, tried to infiltrate into the territory of Azerbaijan in order to carry out sabotage and terrorist operations. <…> With the support of firearms, the provocation of the Armenian military was stopped. As a result, Azerbaijani servicemen detained a wounded member of the sabotage group,” the statement said.

According to the defense ministry, other members of the Armenian group were “forced to retreat.”

“At present, the data on the detained member of the group are being clarified,” the Defense Ministry added.

The Armenian Defense Ministry has branded as misinformation a statement by the defense ministry of Azerbaijan on a sabotage attempt by Armenia’s armed forces in the eastern sector of the border between the two countries.

“The statement issued by the MoD of Azerbaijan as if the units of the RA Armed Forces fired against the Azerbaijani combat outposts located in the eastern part of the border on August 15, at around 6:05 p.m., is another disinformation,” its statement said.

The military agency reiterated that, according to preliminary data, one of the reserve servicemen who participated in a training mission had left his combat position. “A possible version and all the circumstances of the reservist appearing on the Azerbaijani side are being investigated,” the ministry added.