Azerbaijan initiated a military operation against the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region on Tuesday. As a precondition for peace, they demanded the complete withdrawal of Armenian forces from the disputed mountainous territory.
Concerns about a new war have been growing in recent months. Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of building up troops and imposed a blockade on their only land link to Nagorno-Karabakh.
An AFP journalist in the separatist stronghold of Stepanakert reported hearing blasts in the town. Another AFP contributor heard continuous shelling, sirens, and the sound of a drone flying overhead.
The defense ministry of Azerbaijan stated that they were using high-precision weapons both on the front line and in depth. They also announced the launch of localized anti-terrorist measures in the region.
In an effort to protect civilians, Azerbaijan opened humanitarian corridors and reception points to allow them to leave.
Armenian separatists claimed that two civilians were killed and 23 were injured in the fighting. They accused Azerbaijani forces of attempting to advance into Karabakh.
The dispute over Karabakh has been ongoing between the two former Soviet Caucasus rivals for decades. Large-scale hostilities broke out in the 1990s and again in 2020.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Azerbaijan had launched a ground operation with the aim of ethnic cleansing the Karabakh Armenians. He assured that the Armenian army was not involved in the fighting and that the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan remained stable.
Pashinyan called on Russia and the UN to intervene and take action. Hundreds of people also gathered outside the government building in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, to protest and demand a response from the government against the Azerbaijani operation.
Pashinyan emphasized the importance of preventing certain individuals and forces from causing harm to the Armenian state. He noted that there were calls to stage a coup in Armenia.
Armenia’s foreign ministry condemned Azerbaijan’s aggression against Karabakh and described it as an attempt to complete their policy of ethnic cleansing. They called on Russian peacekeepers in the region to take clear and unequivocal steps to stop Azerbaijan’s aggression.
According to a separatist organization based in Armenia, Stepanakert and other cities and villages are under intensive fire. They accused Azerbaijan of launching a large-scale military offensive.
Azerbaijan justified its mission by citing systematic shelling by Armenian-backed forces. They accused the separatists of carrying out reconnaissance activities and fortifying defensive positions. Azerbaijan claimed that the separatists had a high level of combat readiness.
Regional powers Russia and Turkey, who oversee a fragile peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh, were informed about Azerbaijan’s military activities. The Russian government urged both parties to respect the peace accord and put an end to the bloodshed.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that they were given only a few minutes’ notice before the start of Azerbaijan’s operation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed concern over the sharp escalation in Karabakh and stated that Russia was working to facilitate negotiations between the two countries.
The fighting erupted shortly after Azerbaijan reported the deaths of four police officers and two civilians in mine blasts in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian separatists blamed Azerbaijan for the deaths. The incidents occurred after the separatists claimed to have reached an agreement with Azerbaijani authorities to resume aid deliveries to Karabakh.
Azerbaijan’s security services stated that two civilians died in the Khojavend district, and four police officers were killed in a mine explosion on their way to the site. The incident took place in the zone where Russian peacekeeping troops were temporarily deployed as part of the ceasefire agreement. Azerbaijan informed that the police were killed on the road to Shusha, a city recaptured from the separatists in 2020.
In the 2020 six-week war, Azerbaijan regained control of significant areas in Karabakh, including the culturally significant town of Shusha. However, Armenian separatists still retain control over other parts of the region, including the main city of Stepanakert.
Azerbaijan stated that the road to Shusha was constructed after they captured some territories from Armenia in 2020. They claimed that the area along the route was cleared of mines during the construction process. However, Karabakh remains heavily mined, and hundreds of Azerbaijanis have been injured or killed by landmines laid by Armenian forces over the years. Since 2020, over 300 Azerbaijanis have been wounded or killed in mine-related incidents. Both Azerbaijani and Armenian militaries have used mines during past conflicts in the 1990s.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has highlighted that landmines are the main obstacle preventing displaced people from returning to the territories taken back from Armenian separatists in 2020.
