A still image from a video released by the Armenian Defense Ministry shows what is said to be Azerbaijani military vehicles during at attack in Nagorno-Karabakh, on September 27, 2020. (Photo by AFP)
Heavy fighting continues in the South Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a day after a decades-long territorial dispute re-erupted with the heaviest clashes in years between Azerbaijans military and Armenian-backed forces.
Fighting was reported throughout the night into early Monday morning, with both sides deploying heavy artillery.
The latest flare-up of violence has resulted in scores of fatalities and injuries on both sides.
Azerbaijans foreign minister said on Monday that six Azeri civilians had lost their lives and 19 others sustained injuries in the latest bout of fighting.
The Azerbaijani Prosecutor Generals Office reported that "as many as 26 civilians have been hospitalized with various bodily injuries."
An Armenian defense ministry spokesperson said 15 more separatist forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region had been killed overnight, bringing their total fatality count to 32 since clashes erupted Sunday.
Also speaking on Monday, Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan confirmed that around 30 Armenian servicemen had been killed and 100 others injured in the clashes.
Both sides have accused each other of continuing to attack the other with heavy artillery.
Azerbaijans Ministry of Defense said the Armenian backed forces had shelled the city of Terter overnight, adding Azeri forces had attacked in retaliation, destroying at least two Armenian tanks.
Armenia also said Azerbaijan had kept shelling the region.
Sputnik reported on Monday that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had signed a decree authorizing partial mobilization of reserve servicemen.
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh declared martial law and general mobilization on Sunday.
The major escalation has concerned the international community and prompted calls for calm in the region.
On Monday, Russias Foreign Ministry called on all sides to show restraint.
Chinas Foreign Ministry also called for restraint on Monday, saying that Beijing hoped Yerevan and Baku could resolve their differences through dialog. Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that maintaining regional peace and stability was in the interests of all parties.
Turkey and Russia were quick to react to the violence on Sunday, calling on both sides to cease fire and start negotiations.
Turkey, an Azerbaijan ally, accused Armenia of the flare-up and promised Azerbaijan its "full support."
Russia, on the other hand, which maintains close ties with Armenia, called for "an end to hostilities."
"The Russian side expressed serious concern over the resumption of large-scale clashes," said President Vladimir Putin.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said he was in intensive talks with his Turkish counterpart to reach a return to negotiations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the meantime, spoke to his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
Erdogan called Armenia "the biggest threat to peace in the region."
He also urged "the entire world to stand with Azerbaijan in their battle against invasion and cruelty."
The Armenian prime minister hit back, accusing Ankara of "dangerous behavior" in the region.
Pashinyan urged the international community to ensure Ankara does not get involved in the current conflict.
Iran was also one of the first countries to react to regional conflict, inviting the two sides to immediately end the fighting. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeid Khatibzadeh said Tehran was fully prepared to mediate resumption of talks between the conflicting sides.
"Iran is closely monitoring the conflict with concern and calls for an immediate end to the escalation and the start of talks between the two countries," Khatibzadeh said.
French President Emmanuel Macron also talked with his Azerbaijani counterpart over the phone during which he stressed the importance of resolving the conflict through negotiations.
US President Donald Trump also reacted to the fighting, saying that his administration would seek to stop the violence through its "good relationships" in the region.
His State Department also condemned the violence in a statement, calling on both Baku and Yerevan to halt the violence, as well as any rhetoric or other actions that could worsen tensions.
The statement said any participation in the escalating violence by outside parties would be "deeply unhelpful."
US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden also expressed concern that current hostilities could escalate into a wider conflict.
Expressing concern over the escalation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also urged both Baku and Yerevan to stop fighting and return to talks.
Pope Francis, the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to stop military actions and return to negotiations.
Armenian separatists seized Karabakh in a move supported by Yerevan after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992.
Some 30,000 people were killed in the conflict, which ended with a fragile ceasefire in 1994, with about 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory remaining under the control of Armenian forces.
The latest clashes follow a flare-up along the two counties border in July, which claimed the lives of 17 soldiers from both sides. In April 2016, some 110 people were killed in the most serious fighting in years.
While Azerbaijan has promised to take back the area, by the use of force if necessary, Armenia says it will do all it can to defend the territory.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/20538
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