An Armenian Mi-24 helicopter, like the one pictured, was shot down by Azerbaijani forces (file photo)

An Armenian Mi-24 helicopter, like the one pictured, was shot down by Azerbaijani forces (file photo)

Azerbaijan's defence ministry says its forces have shot down an Armenian military helicopter violating its airspace.

Three crew members were killed in the incident, according to local reports.
The helicopter was flying in the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, an enclave in western Azerbaijan controlled by ethnic Armenians.
A regional conflict dating from the Soviet era ended in a ceasefire in 1994 but tensions have risen again recently.
Azerbaijan's defence ministry said the Mi-24 helicopter was downed close to the frontline between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.
Separatist officials in Nagorno Karabakh confirmed the attack, saying it happened during a "training flight as part of military drills".