The man, a herdsman who was tending his cattle near the front line, was shot on Friday and later died in hospital, the ministry said in a statement to AFP.
But the Armenian defense ministry denied this, accusing Azerbaijan of trying to score political points ahead of internationally-mediated Karabakh peace talks that are due to take place in Russia later this month.
The alleged killing of the herdsman follows the reported shootings of two other civilians -- an Armenian tractor driver and a nine-year-old Azerbaijani boy -- around the disputed region in recent months.
Thirteen soldiers have also died this year amid continued tensions over Karabakh, which ethnic Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized from Azerbaijan in a conflict in the 1990s that left around 30,000 dead.
A spokesman for the Azerbaijani defense ministry repeated his government`s threat to use force to win back the region if peace negotiations do not yield satisfactory results.
"Eventually, Azerbaijani soldiers will meet the expectations of the people, the government and the supreme commander-in-chief, and will liberate the occupied land from the enemy," spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu said in comments reported by the Interfax news agency on Saturday.
Armenia has warned of large-scale retaliation if Azerbaijan launches any military action. (H-RN) (*)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
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