Fresh clashes between Armenia, Azerbaijan
Fresh clashes erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia on Wednesday, a day after 99 soldiers were killed in the Tuesday clashes between the two countries.
MEHR: Fresh clashes erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia on Wednesday, a day after 99 soldiers were killed in the Tuesday clashes between the two countries.
At least 49 Armenian and 50 Azerbaijani militaries were killed on Tuesday in the clashes, with both Yerevan and Baku blaming each other for the fighting which prompted an appeal for calm from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported.
The Armenian defence ministry on Wednesday announced that Azerbaijan is using artillery, mortar and small arms in a fresh attack.
"The situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border remained tense," it added, restating Armenia's position that Azerbaijan launched attacks on its sovereign territory.
Azerbaijan also announced that Armenia is firing mortars and artillery against its military units.
"Our positions are periodically being fired against at the moment," Azerbaijan's defence ministry said. "Our units are taking the necessary response measures."
The conflict between the two countries first broke out in the late 1980s, when both sides were under Soviet rule and Armenian forces captured swathes of territory near Karabakh, long recognized internationally as Azerbaijan’s territory. About 30,000 people died in the ensuing conflict.
Azerbaijan regained those territories in the 2020 fighting, which ended with a Russian-brokered truce and thousands of residents returning to homes from which they had fled. More than 6,500 people lost their lives in the six-week war.
The leaders of both countries have since met several times to hammer out a treaty intended to establish a lasting peace.
During EU-mediated talks in Brussels in May and April, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to “advance discussions” on a future peace treaty.
