Armenia misplaced not less than 49 troopers within the newest border clashes with Azerbaijan early on September 13, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian mentioned, amid worldwide requires an instantaneous cessation of hostilities between the 2 Caucasus archenemies.
There have been frequent flare-ups alongside their shared border for the reason that finish of the 2020 conflict between Yerevan and Baku over Azerbaijan’s breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh area.
“At 00:05 a.m. on Tuesday (September 13), Azerbaijan launched intensive shelling, with artillery and large-caliber firearms, in opposition to Armenian navy positions within the course of the cities of Goris, Sotk, and Jermuk,” the Armenian Protection Ministry mentioned.
Azerbaijan’s Protection Ministry, in flip, accused Armenia of “large-scale subversive acts” close to the districts of Dashkesan, Kelbajar, and Lachin on the border, including that its military positions “got here below hearth, together with from trench mortars.”
Each Armenia and Azerbaijan blamed one another for the most recent escalation within the decades-old dispute between the nations over Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a speech to Armenia’s parliament, Pashinian mentioned Baku had attacked Armenia’s positions in a single day and that preventing was ongoing.
“For the second, we now have 49 [soldiers] killed and sadly it is not the ultimate determine,” Pashinian instructed parliament.
The Armenian authorities additionally mentioned it might invoke a cooperation settlement with Moscow and attraction to the Russia-led Collective Safety Treaty Group — a regional safety bloc — in addition to the UN Safety Council.
The Kremlin mentioned on September 13 that Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing every thing he can to assist de-escalate hostilities.
“The president makes each effort to contribute to the de-escalation of tensions on the border. These efforts proceed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed a information briefing.
Requested whether or not Moscow intends to to do one thing in reference to Yerevan’s attraction for assist to the CSTO, Peskov declined to provide particulars.
“I’d not wish to say extra now. For the reason that work, varied agreements and so forth, I’d not like one thing announce earlier than the approval course of is accomplished,” Peskov mentioned.
Earlier, the Russian International Ministry mentioned a cease-fire had been agreed from 9 a.m. Moscow time (0600 GMT).
“We anticipate that an settlement reached because of Russian mediation on a cease-fire…might be carried out in full,” the ministry mentioned in a press release, including that it was “extraordinarily involved” by the uptick in preventing.
However Azerbaijani media studies mentioned the cease-fire collapsed inside minutes after getting into into power.
Earlier, Azerbaijan’s Protection Ministry mentioned its forces have been responding to Armenian provocations and denied claims that they have been hitting civilian infrastructure.
“Azerbaijani armed forces are endeavor restricted and focused steps, neutralizing Armenian firing positions,” it mentioned in a press release.
“There are losses amongst [Azerbaijani] servicemen,” the ministry mentioned, with out giving figures.
Pashinian on September 13 phoned world leaders to demand “an enough response,” his workplace mentioned. Pashinian referred to as Putin, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Armenian Protection Ministry additionally mentioned the Russian and Armenian protection ministers spoke on September 13 and agreed to take steps to stabilize the state of affairs on the border.
Earlier, Blinken in a press release referred to as for an finish to the battle and voiced Washington’s “deep concern” over the state of affairs, together with “reported strikes in opposition to settlements and civilian infrastructure” in Armenia.
“As we now have lengthy made clear, there may be no navy answer to the battle,” Blinken mentioned in a press release. “We urge an finish to any navy hostilities instantly.”
Turkey, Azerbaijan’s conventional ally, blamed Armenia for the most recent flare-up, urging Yerevan to “stop provocations” in opposition to Baku.
“Armenia ought to stop its provocations and deal with peace negotiations and cooperation with Azerbaijan,” International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted after a cellphone name with Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov.
In a cellphone name with Pashinian on September 13, the EU’s Charles Michel urged either side to stop additional escalation.
Michel, president of the European Council, mentioned the EU was “able to make efforts to stop additional escalation” and mentioned there was “no various to peace and stability within the area,” in response to an Armenian readout of the decision.
Armenia misplaced management over elements of Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 adjoining districts after a six-week conflict in late 2020 that left greater than 6,500 useless and led to a Russia-brokered cease-fire. An estimated 2,000 Russian troops have been deployed to watch the state of affairs.
The most recent flare-up follows an outbreak of preventing on August 1-3 by which not less than one Azerbaijani and two ethnic Armenian troopers have been killed.
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have met a number of occasions to hammer out a treaty supposed to ascertain a long-lasting peace after the 2020 battle.
The most recent such assembly between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pashinian came about on August 31 in Brussels and was brokered by the European Union.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP
