Nagorno-Karabakh, backed by Armenia, broke away from Azerbaijan after a bloody ethnic conflict in the early 1990s. In 2020, Azerbaijan managed to regain some of the territory controlled by the separatists.
Azerbaijan’s defense ministry claimed today that it had “crushed” an attack by Armenian forces near the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, amid international calls for an immediate end to hostilities in a region that has been a flashpoint for 30 years.
Nagorno-Karabakh, backed by Armenia, broke away from Azerbaijan after a bloody ethnic conflict in the early 1990s. In 2020, Azerbaijan managed to regain some of the territory controlled by the separatists.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Russian peacekeepers were deployed to the area still held by the separatists. Azerbaijan and Armenia accuse each other of ceasefire violations and hostilities have escalated in recent days.
Azerbaijan’s defense ministry has accused Armenia of flagrant ceasefire violations, alleging sabotage that led to the death of a soldier. In addition, Baku claims that its forces “crushed” Armenian forces that attempted to seize a hill in an area under the control of Russian peacekeepers.
“As a result, those fighting on behalf of the illegal Armenian armed formations were killed or injured,” said the statement, which called on all Armenian troops to withdraw from the area and warned of “overwhelming” countermeasures.
In response, Armenia’s Defense Ministry accuses Azerbaijan of violating the ceasefire, denouncing the attack on areas under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Yerevan asked the international community to “take measures to stop Azerbaijan’s aggressive behavior and actions.”
The European Union today called for an immediate end to hostilities and called on the warring parties to respect the ceasefire.
Earlier, separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh had declared partial mobilization.
Moscow has accused Azerbaijani forces of violating the ceasefire, noting that Russian peacekeepers are seeking to stabilize the situation in the restive region.
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