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It took just minutes for the third attempt at a humanitarian ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to unravel on October 26, with Armenia and Azerbaijan accusing each other of violating the truce negotiated in Washington, DC over the weekend.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry alleged that Armenian forces fired at Azerbaijani settlements and Azerbaijani army positions “along the entire front, as well as on the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” Azerbaijan also accused the Armenian forces of attacking its city of Terter and the Aghjabedi region. The Armenian military officials in turn accused the Azerbaijani forces of bombing the northeast Nagorno-Karabakh and other areas. On the afternoon of October 26, “heavy battles” were taking place in the southeast of the region, said Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Ovannisian, according to The Associated Press.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Facebook Live that on the eve of the ceasefire he had warned the US Secretary of State that Azerbaijan would quickly break the truce and that Baku would blame Armenia. He said he had asked Pompeo how the United States would determine who was responsible for the possible violation, but declined to share Pompeo’s response.
After the ceasefire was agreed, US President Donald Trump tweeted: “Congratulations to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who have just agreed to adhere to an effective midnight ceasefire. . Many lives will be saved. Proud of my team @SecPompeo And Steve Biegun and @WHNSC for making the deal! “
Nagorno-Karabakh officials also accused Azerbaijan of “continuing missile attacks” against civilian settlements in the region, killing one and wounding two more.
The mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh enclave is located within Azerbaijan, but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the war ended in 1994.
According to Nagorno-Karabakh officials, so far 974 of its troops and more than 30 civilians have been killed in the clashes. The Azerbaijani authorities do not disclose their military losses, however, they claim that the fighting has killed 65 Azerbaijani civilians and injured 300.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that according to information from Moscow, the death toll from the fighting was approaching 5,000.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that in order to end hostilities, Armenian forces must withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a speech to the nation on October 26, Aliyev again attacked the OSCE’s Minsk Mediators Group, co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States, which for three decades has tried to find an answer to the Nagorno-Karabakh situation. . headache.
“For almost 30 years, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group have tried to reconcile Azerbaijan with the process of freezing the conflict,” Aliyev said. “We are fed up with these negotiations. How long can you trade? “
The Minsk Group will meet in Geneva on October 29. Aliyev said he wanted the meeting “to be worthwhile” and said he needed to “speed up the resolution of the conflict.”
“There have already been so many useless meetings in these 28 years,” he added.
Pashinian accused Azerbaijan of being unwilling to compromise. “This is the main problem, which until now did not allow [us] to solve the problem, because Azerbaijan was not ready, and is not ready yet, for compromises, “said Pashinian.
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