Armenia, Azerbaijan Exchange Fire, One Azeri Border Guard Wounded

YEREVAN — An Azerbaijani serviceman has been wounded in what Armenia and Azerbaijan said was an exchange of gunfire at one of the sections of the heavily militarized border between the two South Caucasus countries on Wednesday afternoon.

The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia said the cross-border gunfire followed an incident with an Armenian shepherd inadvertently crossing into Azerbaijani-controlled territory while looking for his lost flock near the Armenian village of Nerkin Khndzoresk in the southern Syunik Province.

“The events developed in such a way that a shootout occurred. As a result of the incident the Azerbaijani side suffered one wounded,” it said.

The NSS said that its border troops were ready for a joint investigation with Azerbaijani counterparts.

“Regardless of the joint investigation, the border troops of the Republic of Armenia are conducting their own investigation, and the results will be reported additionally. The question of how and why the shepherd and his flock crossed the border is also being clarified. We also note that the Azerbaijani side has returned the lost flock. The shepherd is also on the territory of Armenia,” the NSS said, stressing that “such incidents are undesirable for the Armenian side.”

The Azerbaijani side returned the lost flock, and the shepherd is safely back within Armenian territory.

On April 8 units of the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire towards the positions of the Armenian Armed Forces in the vicinity of Aravus (Syunik Province) and Khoznavar (Syunik Province), the Armenian Defense Ministry informed.