YEREVAN. Aug 14 (Interfax) - The Armenian Defense Ministry has denied the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's statement alleging the concentration of military hardware on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
"The statement published by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, alleging that the Armenian Armed Forces have concentrated large amounts of weapons and military hardware and numerous troops on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, is untrue," the Armenian Defense Ministry's press service said.
"Regarding another false allegation made in this statement from the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the Armenian Defense Ministry reiterates that Armenia does not have an army in Nagorno-Karabakh," it said.
On Monday, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry accused Armenia of plotting an armed provocation on the border.
"The efforts towards enduring peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia have fallen victim to Armenia's willful policy of tension and revanchism and have encountered serious challenges," the ministry said.
Armenia's armed forces illegally stationed on the territory of Azerbaijan have intensified military engineering work and other kinds of military activity over recent weeks, "which is a serious violation of international law and Armenia's obligations stated in the fourth clause of the trilateral statement of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia of November 10, 2022," it said.
"A concentration of large amounts of weapons, military hardware and troops [belonging to] Armenia's armed forces along the non-delimited border with Azerbaijan has been observed in recent days for the purpose of another reckless military action," the ministry said.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said earlier on Monday that Armenian forces had fired at Azerbaijani positions on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border.
"Armenian units stationed in the area of Yukhari Shorzha in the Basarkechar region fired small arms of various calibers at Azerbaijani positions near Mollabayramli in the Kalbajar region [near the Azerbaijani-Armenian border] between 9:20 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. on August 14," the ministry said.
Azerbaijani forces took countermeasures, it said.