Armed units in black uniforms attacked three villages in the southern Soviet republic of Azerbaijan on Saturday and ordered all ethnic Armenians to leave, the Interfax news agency said.
The report said troops backed by helicopters and armored vehicles entered the Azerbaijani villages of Erkech, Manashid and Buzlukh, which are heavily populated by Armenians.The gunmen threatened the ethnic Armenians with death if they did not immediately comply with the orders to leave, the report added. It didn't identify the gunmen.
The Soviet Ministry of the Interior, the KGB, and the Ministry of Defense denied any involvement in the attack as did Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry, said a statement from Armenian officials.
The region along the border between the two republics has been tense for months, with the Armenians accusing Azerbaijani Interior Ministry troops of attacking mainly Armenian villages in Azerbaijan and ordering the villagers to leave the republic.
At least 36 people died in ethnic clashes in the region in May.