Azerbaijan attack with Turkish F-16s, …

YEREVAN – President Arayik Harutyunyan of the de facto Republic of Artsakh (Republic Nagorno-Karabakh) said dozens of soldiers had died after being attacked by troops Azerbaijan with a sophisticated Turkish F-16 fighter jet.

The conflict that flared up again in Nagorno-Karbakh on Sunday also took its toll on civilians. (Read: Fight against outbursts in Nagarno-Karabakh)

“Dozens (soldiers) were killed, dozens were injured. Dozens of civilians were injured and there were casualties among civilians,” Harutyunyan said in a statement. online briefing, posted on Facebook, as cited Sputniknews, Monday (9/28/2020).

Nagorno-Karabakh is an autonomous region with an ethnic Armenian majority that proclaimed independence from the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1991. Armenia defends Nagorno-Karabakh, while Azerbaijan defends Turkey. (Read: Armenian Prime Minister warns Turkey not to get involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict)

Harutyunyan said that the Azerbaijani armed forces used Turkish F-16 jets, which were stationed in Azerbaijan for about a month earlier. “Under the pretext of military training,” he said.

“The armed forces of Azerbaijan are equipped with the most advanced weaponry of the Turkish army,” he explained. The Nagorno-Karabakh side also accused Azerbaijani troops of opening fire on civilians and civil infrastructure in the capital; Stepanakert.

The Nagorno-Karabakh armed forces seized a BMP-3 tank and 10 other armored vehicles with Azerbaijani military equipment. The confiscation of the war vehicle was confirmed by Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Shushan Stepanyan on Sunday. (Read: Turkey calls Armenia the culprit of the new battle in Nagarno-Karabakh)

“As a result of a counterattack by a Defense Army unit (Nagorno-Karabakh), 11 enemy armored vehicles with their combat equipment were seized, including the BMP-3,” Stepanyan said on Facebook.