Azerbaijani armed forces, violating the humanitarian ceasefire agreement, launched offensive operations today in the southern and northern directions along the Karabakh Line of Contact according to Armenian Defense Ministry representative Artsrun Hovhannisyan.

Hovhannisyan, at a Yerevan press briefing, said Armenian forces repulsed both offensives and brought down one Azerbaijani drone.

The ministry official said that while there was no intense large caliber weapons fire, the ceasefire regime had been violated and that it was impossible to exchange war prisoners and war dead.

"The Turkish Air Force continues to direct the operations of the Azerbaijani Air Force, in particular, by controlling air control points, safeguarded by six Turkish F-16 fighter jets,” Hovhannisyan said, adding that Turkish and Israeli manufactured drones are thus able to strike infrastructure targets and Armenian military units.

He said that the Artsakh Defense Army Air Defense is effectively combatting such incidents.

Hovhannisyan said that Stepanakert, the Artsakh capital, had again been shelled by long-range, large-caliber multi-rocket systems.

 The official denied Azerbaijani government allegations that Armenian forces are violating the ceasefire and striking with large-caliber weapons.  

"Azerbaijan is trying to create grounds as provocation for further actions," Hovhannisyan said.