BAKU. Aug 14 (Interfax) - The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has accused members of Armenian illegal armed units and remnants of Armenia's armed forces of preparing to stage a new armed provocation in the Karabakh economic district of Azerbaijan.
"Activity on the part of members of Armenian illegal armed formations and remnants of Armenia's armed forces has recently been observed in the area where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed in the territory of Azerbaijan. In particular, we have observed the reinforcement of their combat positions with personnel and ammunition, as well as the preparation of new defense lines, trenches and long-term fortifications and the planting of new mines in this territory," the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
Apart from that, members of illegal armed formations have placed various military hardware, including air defense and electronic warfare systems, in several populated localities of the Karabakh economic district and have provided weapons to the civilian population en masse, it said.
"In many cases, firing positions have deliberately been placed in the proximity of residential buildings. Despite the fact that Azerbaijan's demands to cease this activity have been conveyed to the Armenian side through Russian peacekeepers, we have been observing preparations for a new provocation by even further intensifying operations by illegal armed formations and taking measures to conduct intensive combat training in the territories of Azerbaijan," it said.
The military and political leadership of Armenia will be held liable for any possible incidents, the ministry said.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry earlier in the day accused Armenia of plotting to stage a military provocation on the border, claiming that the Armenian army has been amassing weapons, military hardware and troops along the non-delimited border with Azerbaijan.
The Armenian Defense Ministry, for its part, has denied the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's statement about a build-up of military hardware on the two countries' border.