The ministry said the incident occurred near the village of Verishen in the southeastern Syunik province. Nobody was hurt as a result of the cross-border fire, it added in a statement.
The ministry urged Baku to “investigate the shooting and provide public explanations.” Photographs released by it showed multiple bullet holes on the excavator. The Azerbaijani military denied firing gunshots at it.
The site of the reported shooting is close to two other Syunik villages, Khnatsakh and Khoznavar, whose residents have reported regular Azerbaijani gunfire for the last several months. Gunshots reportedly fired from nearby Azerbaijani army positions have reportedly damaged several local houses. Villagers say that although their intensity has decreased lately, they are still afraid of leaving their homes after dark.
The gunfire began shortly after official announcements on March 13 that Baku and Yerevan have bridged their differences on the text of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty. The Azerbaijani leadership has made clear that it will not sign the treaty without securing more Armenian concessions. Armenian opposition figures and pundits have suggested that the truce violations are aimed at forcing Yerevan to make those concessions.
The Armenian government has consistently downplayed the significance of those violations. Its critics say it is reluctant to admit that unilateral concessions planned or already made to Baku will not end the conflict with Azerbaijan anytime soon.