Armenia and Azerbaijan: a sleeping conflict erupts

The fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out again this Sunday in the disputed separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh and have left 16 dead and more than 100 injured, according to a senior territorial official, while the Azerbaijani President noted that his military forces have suffered losses. Armenia, for its part, said that two Azerbaijani helicopters were shot down and three Azerbaijani war tanks were targeted by artilleryBut the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry rejected such assertions.

Heavy fighting began in the morning in the region that is in Azerbaijani territory but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces. -supported by the government of Armenia- since the end of a separatist war in 1994. It is not known at the moment what triggered the confrontation, the strongest since fighting in July claimed the lives of 16 people from both sides.

The authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh they reported that the regional capital, Stepanakert, and the towns of Martakert and Martuni were attacked with artillery fire. Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan added that Azerbaijani artillery hit Armenian territory near the town of Vardenis.

Artur Sarkisian, Nagorno-Karabakh’s deputy defense minister, said 16 people were killed and more than 100 injured. It is not clear for now if the figures include soldiers and civilians. Shortly before, the Armenian human rights ombudsman reported that a woman and a child had been killed by Azerbaijani fire.

Other A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, Shushan Stepanyan, explained that “the Armenian side” shot down two helicopters and hit three tanks.

He Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ordered the imposition of martial law in some regions of the country and urged to respect a curfew in large cities.

Aliyev said in a televised address to the nation that “there are losses between the Azerbaijani forces and the civilian population as a result of the Armenian bombardment.”but did not elaborate. The ruler added that “many units of enemy military equipment have been destroyed.”

Nagorno-Karabakh is an Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan that has been outside of Azeri control. Both sides have a strong military presence alongside the demilitarized zone that separates the region from the rest of Azerbaijan.

The news was harshly received by Turkey. Ruling party spokesman Omer Celik tweeted: “We vehemently condemn Armenia’s attack on Azerbaijan. Armenia has once again committed a provocation, ignoring the law ”. She promised that Turkey will back Azerbaijan and warned that “Armenia is playing with fire and endangering regional peace.”

He Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also condemned Armenia on Twitter. “Armenia has violated the ceasefire by attacking civilian settlements … the international community must immediately demand an end to this dangerous provocation”Kalin tweeted.