At least five people were killed in the exchange of fire today in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenian authorities in the disputed enclave had earlier announced that three policemen were killed when a group of Azeri army “saboteurs” opened fire on an Armenian administration police vehicle.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry denied this version, saying the exchange of fire occurred after the Azeris attempted to control vehicles suspected of carrying weapons from Armenia to Baku-controlled areas of Karabakh. According to the ministry, two Azeri soldiers were killed.

Since December, the road connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh, the so-called “Latchin Corridor”, has been blocked by Azeri activists who say they are protesting illegal mining in the region. But Yerevan maintains that the blockade has been ordered by the Azerbaijani authorities and is causing an acute humanitarian crisis in the separatist regions as they are drip-fed.

After today’s episode, Armenia has deemed it “vital” to deploy a team of international investigators to the Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan, for its part, considers it necessary to establish “an appropriate checkpoint” on this road.