Azerbaijani sabotage leaves 3 Armenian policemen dead, 1 injured in Artsakh

A subversive attack by Azerbaijani forces in Artsakh on Sunday morning has left three Armenian police officers dead and one seriously injured. Artsakh’s Interior Ministry reported that the incident occurred near a place called Khapalu, not far from Stepanakert.

The report dismissed claims by the Azerbaijani side alleging that “weapons were being transported from Armenia to Karabakh.” According to the press release, the police officers were simply en route from Stepanakert to their assigned location.

“An Azerbaijani sabotage group ambushed in a forest along the road and attacked a police car,” the statement said. “The incident resulted in the deaths and injuries of both Armenian and Azerbaijani personnel.”

Artsakh’s Foreign Ministry called the attack a “flagrant violation” of the November 2020 ceasefire statement and accused Azerbaijan of seeking to escalate tensions.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also reported casualties without disclosing the number. The ministry stated that the only open route for transportation between “the Karabakh economic region and the Republic of Armenia is the Lachin road,” referring to the road that Azerbaijan has blocked for over three months.

Earlier this week, the authorities in Stepanakert reported that Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire on a tractor and people in the regions of Martuni, Mardakert, and Askeran while they were doing agricultural work.