Reports of clashes have emerged from the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, as Azerbaijan declared a fresh offensive in this ethnically Armenian-controlled territory, intensifying a longstanding conflict.
Ruben Vardanyan, the former leader of Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist government, revealed “artillery shelling” in a post on his Telegram channel.
Nagorno-Karabakh is officially recognized as part of Azerbaijan on the international stage. However, it is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and governed by the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, referred to as the Republic of Artsakh by Armenians.
It is worth noting that Russia shares a border with Azerbaijan, and both Armenia and Azerbaijan were once part of the Soviet Union.
Large-scale conflicts erupted between these two nations in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and despite a Russian-brokered ceasefire in 2020, tensions have persisted. Since December, Nagorno-Karabakh has been cut off from crucial supplies when Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin corridor, the region’s sole remaining road link to Armenia.
On Tuesday, Azerbaijan attributed the deaths of six of its citizens to “illegal Armenian armed groups” planting landmines.
The Azerbaijani defense ministry issued a statement indicating that “local anti-terrorist activities” had been initiated to “counter significant provocations” within Nagorno-Karabakh. The statement further disclosed that high-precision weaponry had been employed to incapacitate Armenian positions, military assets, and facilities.
In response, Armenia’s defense ministry released a statement, noting that as of 2 p.m. local time, the situation along its border with Azerbaijan remained stable.
Sergey Ghazaryan, the foreign minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, a region not internationally recognized, was quoted by Armenian state news agency Armenpress as suggesting that Azerbaijan had launched its operation “to implement its policy of genocide.” The statement also alleged that Azerbaijan was targeting the civilian population and civilian infrastructure with the objective of “physical destruction.”
Geopolitical and security analyst Michael Horowitz shared a video, reportedly filmed by local freelance journalist Marut Vanyan in Nagorno-Karabakh, providing further insight into the situation.
The escalation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing tensions in this region and the challenges faced in resolving this protracted conflict.