Armenia misplaced a minimum of 49 troopers within the newest border clashes with Azerbaijan early on September 13, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian mentioned, amid worldwide requires a direct cessation of hostilities between the 2 Caucasus archenemies.

There have been frequent flare-ups alongside their shared border because the finish of the 2020 battle 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 army 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 combating was ongoing.

“For the second, now we have 49 [soldiers] killed and sadly it isn’t the ultimate determine,” Pashinian informed parliament.

Russia’s Overseas Ministry mentioned a cease-fire had been agreed.

“We count on that an settlement reached because of Russian mediation on a cease-fire…will likely be carried out in full,” the ministry mentioned in an announcement, including that it was “extraordinarily involved” by the uptick in combating.

However Azerbaijani media reviews mentioned the cease-fire collapsed inside minutes after coming into into power.

Earlier, Azerbaijan’s Protection Ministry mentioned its forces had been responding to Armenian provocations and denied claims that they had been hitting civilian infrastructure.

“Azerbaijani armed forces are endeavor restricted and focused steps, neutralizing Armenian firing positions,” it mentioned in an announcement.

“There are losses amongst [Azerbaijani] servicemen,” the ministry mentioned, with out giving figures.

Pashinian on September 13 phoned world leaders to demand “an satisfactory response,” his workplace mentioned. Pashinian known as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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 an announcement known 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 now we have lengthy made clear, there will be no army answer to the battle,” Blinken mentioned in an announcement. “We urge an finish to any army 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 give attention to peace negotiations and cooperation with Azerbaijan,” Overseas 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 each side to forestall additional escalation.

Michel, president of the European Council, mentioned the EU was “able to make efforts to forestall additional escalation” and mentioned there was “no different to peace and stability within the area,” in accordance with an Armenian readout of the decision.

Armenia misplaced management over elements of Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 adjoining districts after a six-week battle in late 2020 that left greater than 6,500 useless and led to a Russia-brokered cease-fire. An estimated 2,000 Russian troops had been deployed to watch the state of affairs.

The Armenian authorities mentioned it might invoke a cooperation settlement with Moscow and enchantment to the Russia-led Collective Safety Treaty Group — a regional safety bloc — in addition to the United Nations Safety Council.

The most recent flare-up follows an outbreak of combating on August 1-3 through which a minimum of one Azerbaijani and two ethnic Armenian troopers had been killed.

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have met a number of occasions to hammer out a treaty supposed to determine a long-lasting peace after the 2020 battle.

The most recent such assembly between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pashinian passed off on August 31 in Brussels and was brokered by the European Union.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP