BAKU/YEREVAN. Feb 12 (Interfax) - The Armenian Armed Forces have lost from five to seven servicemen during an attempt to attack Azerbaijani army positions in the Karabakh conflict zone, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry press service said on Friday.
"Sabotage and reconnaissance groups from the Armenian Armed Forces tried to attack our positions in various parts along the contact line in the early hours of February 12. The early detection of the hostilities, the preventive measures and the strike forced the invaders to retreat. According to tentative data, the enemy lost from five to seven servicemen," the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.
It said Azerbaijan did not suffer casualties and retained control over the operative situation.
Artsrun Hovannisian, the Armenian defense minister's press secretary, refuted the Azerbaijani report and said that the Armenian army had no casualties.
"The report claiming an attack on Azerbaijani army positions is not true. The Armenian Armed Forces have no casualties," Hovannisian told Interfax on Friday.
In turn, Senor Asratyan, press secretary of the Defense Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, also refuted the casualties claimed by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, and said that Karabakh positions had been attacked again.
"An escalation of tensions was observed along the contact line today and yesterday. More than 4,500 shots were fired towards Karabakh positions. The enemy also used mortars and grenade launchers," Asratyan said.