Armenia denies media claims that Azerbaijani army retook large area

Information from Baku

On 8 June Azerbaijani media reported that Azerbaijani forces regained control over Günnüt village and the surrounding Sharur areas. The source making the claim called the press service of the armed forces in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The information was later confirmed by the Azerbaijan Press Agency.

Günnüt is located in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic but is, or was until now, a no-go zone for either parties of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Nakhichevan is an exclave of Azerbaijan, bordered by Iran, Turkey and Armenia. Günnüt is a kilometre away from the Armenian border.

A Youtube video shows a report from Naxcivan TV channel wherein it is said that the relatives of Azerbaijanis buried in a Günnüt cemetery was finally able to visit the graves.

The Azerbaijani press said that Azerbaijan gained control over 11 thousand hectares of land.

At present, the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan has not made any statements.

The Armenian press refutes this report.

Information from Yerevan

Artsrun Hovhannisyan, the Press Secretary of Armenia’s Ministry of Defence, made a statement on his Facebook page in response to the claims:

“On 6 and 7 June this year, the Azerbaijani side appealed to the Armenian Armed Forces command to allow some citizens to visit graves on the southern outskirts of the ruined settlement of Günnüt. This is the first time Azerbaijan made such a request. The Armenian side, being committed to humanitarian norms and permanently taking measures aimed at deescalating the situation, agreed to allow peaceful civilians to pay a short visit to the graveyard.”