EU observers caught in crossfire on Azerbaijan border: Report
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Shortly after the EU's monitoring mission initially dismissed Armenia's claims, it subsequently acknowledges that one of their patrols had indeed been present during the shooting incident near the border village of Verin Shorzha.
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Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan (AFP)
EU civilian monitors in Armenia found themselves amid a firefight on Tuesday along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, according to their operational headquarters. The EU mission in Armenia, with around 100 unarmed staff deployed under the Common Security and Defense Policy, was established to observe the tense border region following a brief war between the two South Caucasus nations last year.
Initially, the EU mission denied claims from Armenia that the observers were targeted by gunfire from Azerbaijani positions. However, they later retracted this denial after confirming that one of their patrols had indeed been present during the shooting incident near the border village of Verin Shorzha.
Azerbaijan's defense ministry countered the claims, denying that its troops fired upon the EU observers. They asserted that the reports were "disinformation" and stated that the situation was theoretically and practically impossible due to the shared patrol details and coordination with both sides.
This incident adds to the complexities of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, which includes disputes over territories like Nagorno-Karabakh. The United Nations Security Council is set to address Armenia's appeal for intervention in the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also became involved, discussing with his Azerbaijani counterpart the need to de-escalate tensions around Nagorno-Karabakh and reopen humanitarian routes.
The ongoing tensions highlight the challenges in maintaining peace in the region and the various international actors involved in attempting to resolve the conflict.
