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Image posted, Reuters
A building in “Stepanakert” is on fire from shelling
Armenian forces shelled Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second-largest city, as heavy fighting continued around the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The territory is officially affiliated with Azerbaijan, but under Armenian control.
And regional authorities announced that they bombed the Ganja military airport after Azerbaijani forces bombed the city of Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh.
Azerbaijan says the military sites in Ganja were not targeted.
So far, more than 220 people have died since fighting broke out a week ago.
Image posted, EPA
The city of Stepanakert reportedly cut off electricity after the bombing.
A war broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh, which lasted from 1988 to 1994. In the end, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire, but did not reach a final solution to the conflict.
The current fight is the worst since the ceasefire agreement was reached. Each side blames the other for the current outbreak of fighting.
There is concern that the actual number of military and civilian casualties throughout the conflict is much higher, as the officially declared figures have not been independently confirmed.
The Azerbaijani army says its forces have regained control of seven villages in Nagorno Karabakh, while regional authorities say its forces have “improved” their positions on the front lines of fighting.
Earlier, Armenia said it was ready to work with mediators from France, Russia and the United States to reach a ceasefire.
But Azerbaijan, which has the manifest support of Turkey, demands the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Nagorno Karabakh and other neighboring areas under the control of Armenian forces.
“Nagorno Karabakh is our land,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a televised speech on Sunday, calling on Armenia to apologize and set a timetable for the withdrawal.
He added: “This is the end. We have shown them who we are. We chase them like dogs.”
The latest field developments
Image posted, Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense
Part of the destruction in the city of Ganja in Azerbaijan
In a brief statement on Sunday, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said that the Armenian army bombed the city of Ganja in western Azerbaijan, in the north of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Defense Minister Zakary Hasanov said the move was “clearly provocative” and pushed to broaden the conflict.
And local media reported the death of a civilian.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement issued later: “The information published by the Armenian side about the alleged bombing of military installations in the city of Ganja is provocative and false.”
“As a result of enemy fire, civilians, civil infrastructure and old historic buildings have been damaged,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities announced the destruction of the Ganja military airport. He said he did so in response to the missile attacks in Stepanakert, claiming that Azerbaijani forces used the Ganja facility to launch an attack on civilian areas.
And there were reports of serious injuries in “Stiapanakert”, where the power supply was cut, according to the news agency “Armenpress”. People were seen leaving the city on buses on Saturday.
“Armenpress” quoted the leader of the breakaway region, Aryk Harutyunyan, warning that “from now on, permanently deployed military installations in major Azerbaijani cities are legitimate IDF targets.”
Harutyunyan added that he gave orders to stop the bombing “to prevent the killing of peaceful civilians.”
Turkey condemned the Ganja bombing, accusing Armenia of “targeting civilians”.
But a spokeswoman for the Armenian Defense Ministry said: “No fire of any kind was fired from the territory of Armenia into Azerbaijan.”
Armenia provides economic and military support to Nagorno Karabakh, without officially recognizing the Autonomous Region.
Nagorno-Karabakh authorities have confirmed that 201 of its soldiers and several civilians have died since fighting broke out on September 27.
Azerbaijan announced the death of 22 civilians without disclosing information about their military losses.
