Warnings on the consequences of a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, after the border clashes

The intensity of the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia intensified on Sunday, citing the outbreak of a violent round of military escalation in the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region, where there were deaths and injuries, and the two sides declared a state of war and mobilization, amid regional and international calls to stop the fighting.

And Azerbaijan announced that its forces entered six villages under the control of the Armenians in the region hours after the outbreak of violent clashes on the line of contact between the two sides.

A spokesman for the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a press release: “We liberated six villages, five of them in the Fizuli region and one in Jebrayel.”

Earlier, Aryk Artunyan, head of the Armenian separatist administration called “Nagorno Karabakh”, declared a state of war and general mobilization throughout the region.

He said during an emergency session of Parliament in the provincial capital, Stepanakert (Khankendi, after his Azerbaijani name) that he had decided to declare martial law and mobilize all healthy men over 18 years of age.

He added that the Armenian side did not want the war that Azerbaijan would draw it into, as he himself put it, blaming the President of Azerbaijan for “the humanitarian disaster that will befall the region as a result of the war.”

On the other hand, the Azerbaijani parliament approved the decision of President Ilham Aliyev to declare a “state of war” in some areas due to the fighting at the front between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

According to the decision approved by the Parliament during an emergency meeting, the authorities will partially and temporarily restrict the rights, constitutional freedoms and property rights of citizens and foreigners in the country.

Curfews are expected to be announced in some areas within hours, as part of a “state of war.”

Charges exchanged

For its part, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Armenian army was the one who initiated “a large-scale provocation operation in the early hours of the morning, firing light and heavy weapons at Azeri military and civilian sites.”

The statement stated that the Armenian fire caused casualties among the civilian population and caused extensive damage to civil infrastructure in several villages that were subjected to heavy bombardment.

He explained that the Azerbaijani army decided to launch a counterattack along the front line to respond to what it called Armenian provocations, in order to protect civilians in the region. The statement indicated that Azerbaijani forces destroyed several Armenian military installations and vehicles deep within the front line, including 12 “OSA” anti-aircraft missile systems (OSA).

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry acknowledged that the Armenian army shot down a military helicopter near the “Tartar” site in the region, but confirmed the survival of the helicopter crew.

The Armenian side announced in the morning that its forces had shot down two military helicopters and 3 drones for Azerbaijan, noting that its sites in Nagorno-Karabakh were exposed in recent days to air and missile strikes.

The Armenian authority in the region said the Azerbaijani army began shelling the demarcation line and civilian targets, including the provincial capital, on Sunday morning.

Regional and international interactions

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the Armenian side, saying that Armenia is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region.

On the other hand, Russia said that it agreed with Turkey on the need for an immediate ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that Minister Sergey Lavrov telephoned his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu to discuss the escalation in the Nagorno Karabakh region, and confirmed that Moscow and Ankara call for stopping the escalation and calming the situation.

Meanwhile, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, called for an end to the fighting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides.

Michel said on Twitter: “The military movements must be stopped urgently to avoid further escalation,” and called for “an immediate return to negotiations without conditions.”