'Five Killed' In Nagorno Karabakh Border Clash

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry says three Armenian soldiers and two Azerbaijanis were killed in a gun battle on the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh's border.

In a statement, the ministry blamed Armenia for the August 31 hostilities, saying Armenian troops had "crossed the line of contact and tried to attack Azeri forces."

There was no immediate response from Armenia.

Reports of clashes in the region are often refuted by the opposing side.

Backed by Armenia, ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh sought to break away from Azerbaijani rule in the early 1990s in a war that left an estimated 30,000 people dead.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have never settled the dispute.

compiled from agency reports