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The AFP correspondent in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh enclave testified about several explosions in the capital Stepanakert on Friday. The ceasefire has been broken again.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has raged for decades, but it was not until the end of September that fighting resumed.
On Saturday last week, the countries agreed to a ceasefire during a meeting in Moscow with Russia as a mediator, but already the same day reports arrived that it had broken and seven powerful explosions were heard in the night. Both sides have blamed each other for violating the agreement, writes AFP.
The bloodiest battles since the region broke free
Karabakh human rights ombudsman Artak Beglaryan wrote on Twitter after Friday’s attacks:
“Azerbaijan attacked Stepanakert with heavy missiles for the first time today. They continue to attack civilian points as international communities continue to use empty words and statements.”
Earlier on Friday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the army had “liberated” several villages, on Twitter.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan make historical claims about Nagorno-Karabakh, which today formally belongs to Azerbaijan, but the majority of the inhabitants are Armenians. Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence in 1991, but it has not been recognized by the outside world.
The battles of the last few weeks are the bloodiest since. More than 700 people have died, reports AFP.
