By Beyza Binnur Donmez
ANKARA (AA) - The number of Armenian soldiers killed in clashes on the Azerbaijani border has risen to 135, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday.
Speaking to Armenia's parliament, Pashinyan said there are also many wounded.
According to the latest information from Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry, 71 Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed in border clashes in recent days.
Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of "large-scale provocations" in recent days, saying saboteurs planted mines and Armenian forces carried out “intensive” firing on Azerbaijani positions.
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
In fall 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were under Armenian occupation. The fighting ended with a deal brokered by Russia.