Azerbaijan: Our forces “crushed” an attack by Armenia near Karabakh

Azerbaijan announced that its forces had “crushed” an Armenian attack near the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which led to international calls for an end to the fighting in the region, which has been a hotbed of tension for 30 years.

Karabakh split from Azerbaijan with Armenian support after a bloody ethnic conflict that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, and in 2020, Azerbaijan succeeded in reclaiming part of the territory held by the separatists.

Under the terms of a later ceasefire, Russian peacekeepers were deployed to protect what remained of the separatist-held territory.

However, both sides accuse each other of abuse, and violence has erupted in the past few days.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Armenia flagrantly violated the ceasefire by committing an act of sabotage that resulted in the death of a soldier.

In addition, Baku said its forces repelled an Armenian attempt to seize a hill in an area controlled by Russian peacekeepers.

“As a result, those fighting for the illegal Armenian armed formations were killed and wounded,” it said in a statement, calling on all Armenian forces to withdraw from the area and promising to take “crushing” countermeasures if necessary.

In response, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said that Azerbaijan had violated the ceasefire by launching an offensive in areas controlled by peacekeepers.

It added in a statement that Yerevan wanted the international community to “take measures to stop the aggressive behaviour and actions of Azerbaijan.”

The European Union called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and said both sides should respect the ceasefire, a call echoed by the Polish president of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

“The United States is deeply concerned and closely following reports of intense fighting around Karabakh, including casualties and loss of life,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

“We urge immediate steps to reduce tension and avoid further escalation,” he added.

Earlier, the separatist authorities in the enclave, which is inhabited by an Armenian majority, announced partial mobilization. Russia said the situation in the areas controlled by peacekeepers was getting more tense and announced at least one ceasefire violation by Azerbaijani forces, reports reported.