Azerbaijani forces thwarted a provocation attempt by Armenian forces in the recently liberated Karabakh region, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry has announced.

The ministry said on Saturday that illegal Armenian forces in the region – which was liberated in fall 2020 from decades of Armenian occupation – took advantage of hazy weather to provoke the Azerbaijani army.

The ministry did not specify what form the provocation took, but said the Armenian troops were forced to immediately retreat due to quick measures taken by the Azerbaijani army.

The command of Russian elements on temporary duty in the region and the Turkish-Russian Joint Center were both told about the incident, it added.

There were no casualties among the Azerbaijani soldiers, and the situation was brought under control, the ministry said.

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Tense relations

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh.

The territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Clashes erupted on September 27, 2020, between the Armenian army and Azerbaijani forces.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.

In January 2021, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It also included the establishment of a trilateral working group on Karabakh.

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