Azerbaijani border guard wounded at entrance to closed Karabakh road

The bridge lies at the beginning of the Lachin corridor, the last remaining route linking Armenia with the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians. The road, which has been policed by Russian peacekeepers, has been blocked to most traffic since December, after Azerbaijani civilians identifying themselves as environmental activists began a blockade.

Azerbaijan's border service said one of its guards was wounded by Armenian fire on Thursday, after what Armenia said was an attempt by Baku's forces to raise an Azerbaijani flag over Armenian territory. In a statement, Armenia's National Security Service said a group of Azerbaijani border guards had attempted to cross a bridge over the Hakari river, which marks the internationally-recognized border between the two countries, and hoist a flag on Armenian territory. It said that attempt had been thwarted.

Russia's TASS news agency cited Azerbaijan's border service as saying one of its guards was receiving first aid after being shot. The bridge lies at the beginning of the Lachin corridor, the last remaining route linking Armenia with the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians.

The road, which has been policed by Russian peacekeepers, has been blocked to most traffic since December, after Azerbaijani civilians identifying themselves as environmental activists began a blockade. In April, Azerbaijani troops installed a checkpoint on the route.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh. In 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured chunks of territory lost in a conflict as Soviet rule collapsed in the early 1990s.