Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: Nagorno-Karabakh death toll rises


Media CitationTanks have caught fire as fighting erupted over the disputed territory

Fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region has killed at least 100 people, including civilians.

The mountain enclave is recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but has been run by Armenians since the end of the war in 1994.

The self-proclaimed republic has suffered 84 military deaths as well as civilian casualties since Sunday.

Azerbaijan has not declared its military casualties, but has confirmed the deaths of seven civilians.

The fight that started three days ago now seems to be erupting from Nagorno-Karabakh.

A passenger bus collided with an Azerbaijani drone in the eastern Armenian city of Verdanis, the Armenian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. No casualties were reported.

Azerbaijan had earlier said after the death of five members of the same family a day earlier that two Azerbaijani citizens were killed in an Armenian firing in Azerbaijan on Monday.

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  • Learn more about Nagorno-Karabakh

The fighting is the heaviest in the conflict since 2016, and the UN Security Council will hold emergency talks later on Tuesday.

A map showing the conflict in the Nagarono-Karabakh region

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan – which have already mobilized more troops and declared martial law in some areas – blame each other for starting the fight.

There is growing concern that other countries in the individual Caucasus region may be directly involved in the conflict.

Turkey has already publicly backed Azerbaijan, while Russia – which has a military base in Armenia – has called for an immediate ceasefire.

Nagorno-Karabakh – Key Facts

  • Mountainous terrain of about 4,400 sq km (1,700 sq mi)
  • Traditionally Christian Armenians and Muslim Turks live
  • In Soviet times, it became an autonomous region within the Republic of Azerbaijan
  • Internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the majority of the population is of Armenian descent.
  • About one million people were displaced by the war in 1988-1994, and about 30,000 were killed
  • Al-Qaeda forces seize some additional areas around scattered in Azerbaijan
  • Stability has largely prevailed since the 1994 ceasefire
  • Turkey openly supports Azerbaijan
  • Russia has a military base in Armenia

Related topics

  • Azerbaijan

  • Armenia
  • Nagorno-Karabakh