Armenia-Azerbaijan area
Armenia-Azerbaijan areaiStock

Clashes erupted between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in a resumption of decades-old hostilities linked to the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Reuters reported on Monday, citing Russian news agencies.

Azerbaijan, which re-established full control over the territory in a six-week conflict in 2020, acknowledged casualties among its forces. Armenia made no mention of losses, but said clashes persisted overnight.

Each side blamed the other for the outbreak in fighting.

"Several positions, shelters and reinforced points of the Azerbaijan armed forces ... came under intense shelling from weapons of various calibers, including mortars, by units of the Armenian army," Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

"As a result, there are losses in personnel and damage to military infrastructure."

Azerbaijani statements said Armenian forces had been engaged in intelligence activity on its border, moved weapons into the area and on Monday night had conducted mining operations.

It said its actions were "strictly local in nature aimed at military targets."

Armenia's Defense Ministry said: "Intensive shooting is continuing - started as a result of a large-scale provocation by the Azerbaijani side. Armenia's armed forces have launched a proportionate response."

The 2020 clashes ended with a Russian-brokered truce and thousands of residents returning to homes from which they had fled.