2012 Armenian – Azerbaijani border clashes The 2012 border clashes between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan took place in early June . The clashes resulted in casualties on both sides . Background . The two countries fought a war in the early 1990s over the enclave of Nagorno - Karabakh , while tensions have recently escalated . Since the beginning of 2011 , 63 people have been killed in skirmishes between Armenia and Azerbaijan . The most recent tensions have been concentrated along the section of the Armenia - Azerbaijan border that runs between Tavush Province and Qazakh Rayon and started in April with cross - border firing on unknown origin . Previously , it had been noted that Azerbaijan was increasing its defense spending with the goal of taking back control of Nagorno - Karabakh following a US $ 1 . 6 billion purchase of military equipment from Israel after it had been largely kept out of other arms markets with the Armenia - Russia relations and Armenia - United States relations hampering their efforts to acquire arms . On June 2 , in response to the reported wounding of a Nerkin Karmirarghbyur resident by gunfire from Azerbaijan hours after a scheduled OSCE monitoring visit , OSCE monitoring officials conducted a unilateral field monitoring mission in the Tavush region to investigate recent incidents along the line of contact at the villages of Aygepar , Moses and Nerkin Karmiraghbyur , and make photographic and video records of the traces of the shelling . Events . The first clashes occurred early on June 4 , in which three Armenian soldiers were killed and six wounded near the villages of Berdavan and Chinari in Tavush Province . An Armenian Defense Ministry statement issued the same day said the soldiers had died while fighting back a cross - border incursion by Azerbaijani forces into the northern Tavush region during which " the enemy was repelled , suffering casualties . " The following day , four Azerbaijani soldiers were killed near Asagi Askipara , in the Qazakh Rayon of western Azerbaijan . An Armenian Defense Ministry statement said they had been part of a unit of 15 to 20 soldiers who had tried to infiltrate Armenian positions in the vicinity of Voskepar village in Tavish province . A separate shooting killed a fifth Azerbaijani soldier in the same district . Initially , Azerbaijan refuted allegations of gunfire at the border or any Azerbaijani deaths and explained the incident involving deaths of three Armenian soldiers as a result of " internal disagreements within the Armenian army . " Azerbaijan ' s Defence Ministry later confirmed that the June 5 skirmish had taken place and had resulted in the death of five Azerbaijani soldiers , four of whom died during the confrontation , with a fifth killed later , shot from a distant position . Azerbaijan said that the fighting took place as a result of a subversive group from Armenia trying to penetrate into Azerbaijani territory at the village of Asagi Askipara . On June 6 , according to Nagorno Karabakh ' s Defence Ministry , Azeri soldiers attempted to infiltrate into Nagorno - Karabakh , near Horadiz . One Karabakhi soldier was killed and two others were wounded . " Panorama " reported shooting from the Azeri side the next day . Reaction . At the start of the incidents , U . S . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Armenia as part of a visit to the three southern Caucasus states . Both sides accused each other of a military diversion timed to coincide with her visit to the Caucasus . In Armenia , on June 4 and after hearing of the June 4 deaths , Clinton stated at a press conference that " I am very concerned about the danger of escalation of tensions and the senseless deaths of young soldiers and innocent civilians . The use of force will not resolve the Nagorno - Karabakh conflict and therefore force must not be used . " She said that she had told President Serzh Sarkisian she would make those points in Baku when there . At the same press conference , Armenia ' s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated " Azerbaijan is not satisfied by the fact that every day there are violations by Azerbaijanis on the line of contact of Azerbaijan and Nagorno - Karabakh . They are trying to transfer the tension , to escalate the situation onto the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan which greatly undermines the negotiation process , as well as threatens the regional stability . The responsibility for all possible consequences of such activities lies on the Azeri side . " On June 6 , after talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku , Clinton said that " the cycle of violence and retaliation must end . " On June 8 , Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov said that Azerbaijan ' s forces " were ready to clear Nagorno - Karabakh of its Armenian occupiers . " The U . S . , Russian and French diplomats co - chairing the OSCE Minsk Group commented saying ; Media . Speaking about why international bodies did not make statements " naming and shaming " whichever side started the violence , Thomas de Waal explained that there was no way for them to know due to the small number ( six ) of OSCE monitors in the field , and 20 , 000 soldiers on both sides . The Armenia media suggested that Azerbaijan ' s aim is to increase tension along the border so that Azerbaijan can accuse the OSCE Minsk Group of an inability to control the situation and guarantee peace . Azerbaijan would then attempt to transfer the Karabakh issue from the OSCE to the United Nations because that organisation has recognized Azerbaijan ' s territorial integrity within its Soviet - drawn borders . Also , in 2012 Azerbaijan assumed non - permanent membership of the UN Security Council .