Armenia announced on Tuesday that at least 49 soldiers were killed in clashes on the border with Azerbaijan, the most violent conflict between rival countries since the 2020 war for the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Russia, which plays the role of a mediator in the Caucasus and deploys peacekeepers in the region, said it was negotiating a ceasefire between the two countries that came into effect at 06:00 GMT (3:00 GMT), but the information obtained has not been confirmed by Baku or Yerevan so far.
“There are currently 49 dead and unfortunately this is not the exact number,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told parliament.
Armenia and Azerbaijan, two rival former Soviet republics in the Caucasus, have fought two wars over the past three decades for control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the last in 2020.
The new clashes that broke out on Monday night show how volatile the situation is and threaten to end the fragile peace process mediated by the European Union.
Azerbaijan acknowledged “losses” in the conflict, but did not publish a balance sheet.
Pashinyan condemned Azerbaijan’s “aggression” and called for reaction from Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and US diplomat Antony Blinken in his phone calls throughout the night.
In the statement made by the Armenian government, it was stated that Pashinyan said that he expected “an appropriate response from the international community” in the calls.
“With this escalation, Azerbaijan is undermining the ongoing peace process between Yerevan with the mediation of the European Union,” the Armenian prime minister said.
He added that the intensity of hostilities, which began shortly after midnight, “decreased in the morning hours”.
international concern
Russian diplomacy said the ceasefire has been in effect since 6:00 GMT (3:00 GMT), and urged the two sides to “respect” the agreement.
Russia added that it was “extremely concerned” about the resumption of the war.
Shortly before the death of the soldiers was announced, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia said that the Azerbaijani army, supported by artillery and drones, is trying to enter its territory.
Accusing Azerbaijan of attacking “military and civilian infrastructure”, the ministry said, “Azerbaijan forces continue to use artillery, mortars, drones and large-caliber rifles.”
Azerbaijan accused Armenia of “large-scale destructive acts” and claimed that the attacks of Yerevan troops caused ” casualties” in its ranks.
Armenia reported “heavy bombing” of its positions shortly after midnight in several places, including Goris and Sotk.
The US government expressed great concern about the situation and called for an immediate end to the conflict.
France said it would take the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict to the UN Security Council.
Neighboring countries fought two wars, one in the 1990s and one in 2020, over the Armenian-populated Azerbaijan enclave.
Six weeks of fighting in 2020 left more than 6,500 dead and ended in a Russian-mediated ceasefire.
Under the agreement, Armenia ceded some of the territory it had controlled for decades, and Moscow sent about 2,000 soldiers to oversee the fragile ceasefire.
source: Noticias
