Armenian defense chief briefs OSCE official on border situation

Armenia’s Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan phoned Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Ministry of Defense spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said on Facebook.

The Armenian defense chief briefed the OSCE official on the situation along the Armenian state border since the early hours of Thursday, noting that the Azerbaijani side has many casualties, both injured and killed.

Tonoyan informed that encroachments of the Azerbaijani side on the borders of the Republic of Armenia are being defeated by all available forces and means.

At around 3:40am at night, the Armenian troops spotted movement of the Azerbaijani forces. Switching to all-around defense, the Armenian units foiled the adversary’s attempted incursion, the spokeswoman said.

“After a fierce battle, the adversary was thwarted back, suffering losses,” Stepanyan added.

She said the Azerbaijani military then began shelling the Armenian border villages of Aygepar and Movses, using mortars and a D-30 howitzer. The gunfire still continues, the spokeswoman added.