BAKU/YEREVAN. June 14 (Interfax) - The militaries of Armenia and Azerbaijan again traded accusations of attacking their countries' territories on Tuesday.
In particular, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported a large-caliber fire attack, including a mortar attack, on Azerbaijani army positions by the Armenian Armed Forces near the border. The Defense Ministry said the fire had been opened towards the Heydarabad village of the Sadarak district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also said that the positions in Karabakh had been attacked in the sector of the Shusha district.
For its part, the Armenian Defense Ministry reported a shelling attack on its positions in the west of the country from Nakhchivan. "Units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces fired small arms of various calibers at Armenian positions located in the area of Yeraskh at 6:40 p.m. on June 13. There were no casualties on the Armenian side," the press service for the Armenian Defense Ministry said.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry said that Azerbaijan had fired directly at a steel plant under construction with American capital in Yeraskh in western Armenia on June 13. "This was preceded by false accusations by Azerbaijan against the Armenian side regarding the construction of the aforementioned plant," the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released by its press service on Tuesday evening.
The Foreign Ministry noted that the construction of the plant fully complies with Armenia's international commitments.
Previously, Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan said a large Armenian-U.S. metallurgical plant with $70 million in investment was under construction in Yeraskh.
The Armenian Environment Ministry earlier said that the plant was being built under environmental standards and requirements, and Azerbaijan's statement on the adverse transboundary impact on the environment as a result of the future operation of the plant is unfounded and untrue.