Updated: September 27, 2020 10:12:06 pm
In this photograph taken from footage released by the Armenian Ministry of Defense on Sunday, September 27, 2020, Armenian forces destroy an Azerbaijani military vehicle on the contact line of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. (Photo: Ministry of Defense of Armenia via AP)
Clashes broke out again on Sunday between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the disputed separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh and a senior territorial official said 16 people were killed and more than 100 injured, while the Azerbaijani president said his army has suffered. losses.
Armenia also claimed that two Azerbaijani helicopters were shot down and three Azerbaijani tanks were hit by artillery, but the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry rejected that claim.
EXPLAINED | Why Armenia and Azerbaijan are again at odds on Nagorno-Karabakh
Intense fighting broke out early in the morning in the region that lies within Azerbaijan, but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since 1994 at the end of a separatist war. It was not immediately clear what sparked the fighting, the most intense since clashes in July killed 16 people on both sides.
The Nagorno-Karabakh authorities reported that the bombings reached the region’s capital, Stepanakert, and the towns of Martakert and Martuni. Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan also said Azerbaijani bombardments fell within Armenian territory near the city of Vardenis.
Artur Sarkisian, deputy chief of the Nagorno-Karabakh army, said 16 people were killed and more than 100 injured. It was not immediately clear if the figure included both soldiers and civilians. Earlier, the Armenian human rights ombudsman said that a woman and a child had been killed in the bombing.
Another spokeswoman for the Armenian Defense Ministry, Shushan Stepanyan, said that “the Armenian side” shot down two helicopters and hit three tanks.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ordered the imposition of martial law in some regions of the country and called for a curfew in major cities.
In a televised address to the nation, Aliyev said that “there are losses among the Azerbaijani forces and the civilian population as a result of the Armenian bombardment,” but did not elaborate. He also claimed that “many units of the enemy’s military equipment have been destroyed.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “is conducting intensive contacts to induce the parties to cease fire and begin negotiations to stabilize the situation,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, president of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, called on the parties to stop fighting. The long-unsuccessful negotiations to resolve the status of the territory have been carried out under the auspices of the OSCE.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Sunday that the country could re-examine whether it recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as independent. Such a move would likely obstruct future negotiations.
The news was received harshly in Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan.
Turkey’s ruling party spokesman Omer Celik tweeted: “We vehemently condemn Armenia’s attack on Azerbaijan. Armenia has once again committed a provocation, ignoring the law ”. He promised that Turkey would support Azerbaijan and said: “Armenia is playing with fire and endangering regional peace.” Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also condemned Armenia.
“Armenia has violated the ceasefire by attacking civilian settlements … the international community must immediately say stop this dangerous provocation,” Kalin tweeted.
The most mountainous part of Nagorno-Karabakh, a region about 4,400 square kilometers (1,700 square miles) or about the size of the US state of Delaware, is located 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the border with Armenia . Local Armenian-backed soldiers also occupy part of Azerbaijani territory outside the region.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis said Sunday that he was praying for peace between the two countries, urging them to “carry out concrete works of goodwill and brotherhood” to reach a peaceful solution through dialogue.
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