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Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

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September 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes
Part of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Date27 September 2020 – present
Location
Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact and Armenia–Azerbaijan border
Belligerents
 Armenia
 Republic of Artsakh		  Azerbaijan
Commanders and leaders
Armenia Nikol Pashinyan
(Prime Minister of Armenia, Commander-in-Chief)
Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan (President of Artsakh, Commander-in-Chief)		 Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
(President of Azerbaijan, Commander-in-Chief)
Azerbaijan Zakir Hasanov (Defense Minister of Azerbaijan)
Casualties and losses

Per Armenian side:

  • 10 Armenian servicemen killed[1]
  • 2 civilians killed
  • Schools and civil infrastructures damaged[2]

Azerbaijani claim:

  • 12 anti-aircraft systems lost[3]

Per Azerbaijan:

  • Unspecified number of servicemen and civilians killed and wounded[4]
  • One helicopter lost[3]

Armenian claim:

  • Four helicopters, ten tanks and IFVs, 15 drones lost[5]

The September 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes is the ongoing fighting involving tanks, aircraft and artillery. The clashes began in the morning of 27 September along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact. Both sides reported military and civilian casualties.[4] In response to the clashes martial law and total mobilization was announced in Armenia[6] and in the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh.

Background

The clashes are a part of the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which stems from the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh. The Nagorno-Karabakh War had ended with a ceasefire in 1994, but since multiple violations of the ceasefire occurred, the most serious being the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes and the July 2020 clashes. From July to September 2020 Azerbaijan conducted a series of military exercises, some involving Turkey.[7] According to Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense, the day before the clashes the Armenian military fired from heavy machine guns and sniper rifles to various directions along the frontline, violating the ceasefire 48 times.[8]

Clashes

Trend News Agency stated that on 27 September, at about 06:00 local time, Armenian armed forces started an intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery mounts of various calibers of the positions of the Azerbaijan army along the entire frontline and Azerbaijani settlements in the frontline zone.[9] The spokeswoman of Armenian Ministry of Defense Shushan Stepanyan stated the fighting on 27 September began with an Azerbaijani attack. Azerbaijan said the Armenian side attacked and that Azerbaijan launched a counteroffensive.[10] Hikmet Hajiyev, senior adviser to Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, accused Armenian forces of launching "deliberate and targeted" attacks along the front line.[11]

The Armenian Defence Ministry said the Azerbaijani offensive, also aimed at Stepanakert, began at 08:10 local time (04:10 GMT).[12] The self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh introduced martial law and total mobilization of its male population.[13] On the same day Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the nation concerning the clashes.[14] In the clashes the Azerbaijani military deployed tanks, artillery, missile systems and aircraft near the front line and went deeper into Armenian-occupied territory.[3] Civilians in Nagorno-Karabah have been urged to go into shelters.[3] According to Artsrun Hovhannisyan, in the morning Azerbaijani armed forces also attacked in the direction of Vardenis on the territory of Armenia proper.[15] By the afternoon on 27 September Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense reported the retaking of six villages in Nagorno-Karabakh: Garakhanbayli, Garvand, Kand Horadiz, Yukhari Abdurrahmanli, Boyuk Marjanli and Nuzgar.[16] The Ministry of Defence of Artsakh denied these claims saying the "The statement issued by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan that the Azerbaijani army allegedly occupied 6 settlements does not consistent with the reality" and "it is yet another information provocation of the Azerbaijani propaganda machine.".[17]

On 27 September Azerbaijani authorities have restricted access to the Internet across entire country after the clashes began.[18]

Casualties

A woman and a child were killed have been wounded in Azerbaijan's shelling of civilian settlements of Martuni province in Nagorno-Karabakh), the country's human rights advocate Artak Beglaryan said on 27 September. According to him, schools have been shelled, and there is large-scale damage to civilian infrastructure in many settlements.[2] According to Beglaryan, "In Stepanakert alone, there are more than 10 injured, including children and women".[19] However, Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence denied the claims.[20]

According to Azerbaijan, it destroyed 12 Armenian anti-aircraft systems 9K33 Osa[21] and lost one helicopter, but its crew survived the shootdown.[4] Armenia claimed the elimination of four Azerbaijani helicopters, ten tanks and IFVs, as well as 15 drones.[22]

Internal reactions

On 27 September Azerbaijani authorities have restricted access to the Internet in the all parts of country after cross-border fighting with Armenia, announced the Ministry of Transport, Connections and High-Tech Technologies of Azerbaijan.[23]

International reaction

  • European Union President of European Council Charles Michel stated that "military action must stop, as a matter of urgency, to prevent a further escalation. An immediate return to negotiations, without preconditions, is the only way forward".[9]
  • France France called on Yerevan and Baku to end hostilities and immediately restart dialogue. “France is extremely concerned by the confrontation,” Foreign ministry spokeswoman said in a statement.[24]
  • Georgia (country) President Salome Zurabishvili said that she is "very concerned with the resumption of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We call for peace. Stability and peace in our region must be our common cause."[25] Also, the Georgian Foreign Ministry stated that it hopes a "ceasefire is achieved."[25]
  • Russia Russia called to the sides "to immediately halt fire and begin talks to stabilise the situation".[26]
  • Turkey The spokesman of Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party Omer Celik tweeted: "We vehemently condemn Armenia's attack on Azerbaijan. Armenia has once against committed a provocation, ignoring law." He promised Turkey would stand by Azerbaijan and said, "Armenia is playing with fire and endangering regional peace".[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ https://oc-media.org/breaking-stepanakert-shelled-as-azerbaijan-launches-counter-attack/
  2. ^ a b Karabakh woman, child killed in Azerbaijan's shelling
  3. ^ a b c d "Fighting Erupts Between Azeris and Armenians Over Disputed Land". Bloomberg. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "Fighting erupts between Armenia, Azerbaijan over disputed region". Al Jazeera. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  5. ^ Ոչնչացվել են հակառակորդի 4 ուղղաթիռ, շուրջ 15 ԱԹՍ, 10 տանկ և հետևակի մարտական մեքենա. ԼՂ ՊՆ, RFE/RL
  6. ^ "Armenia Declares Martial Law and Mobilization Over Nagorno-Karabakh". U.S. News & World Report. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Turkey-Azerbaijan military drills intimidate Armenia, President Aliyev says". Daily Sabah. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  8. ^ "26 Sentyabr 2020 09:40" (in Azerbaijani). Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  9. ^ a b "President of European Council appeals for military action to stop within Nagorno Karabakh conflict". Trend News Agency. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Armenia says it shot down two Azerbaijani copters in dispute". Stars and Stripes. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Tensions flare between Armenia and Azerbaijan over new clashes". Gulf Times. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Azerbaijan and Armenia clash over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region". BBC. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh announces martial law and total mobilization". Reuters. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  14. ^ "President Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijani Army is currently firing on and dealing blows to the enemy's military positions". Azerbaijan State News Agency. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  15. ^ In the morning, there were attacks in the direction of Vardenis on the territory of Armenia. Hovhannisyan (in Armenian), RFE/RL, 27 Sept 2020
  16. ^ "Azərbaycan Ordusu 6 kəndi erməni işğalından azad edib". Report.az. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  17. ^ Announcement, NKR MoD
  18. ^ Власти Азербайджана ограничили доступ к интернету после обстрелов в Карабахе, Dozhd, 27 September 2020
  19. ^ Միայն Ստեփանակերտում 10-ից ավելի վիրավոր կա, ներառյալ՝ երեխաներ ու կանայք. Արցախի ՄԻՊ, RFE/RL, 27 September 2020
  20. ^ "Azerbaijan Army does not shell civilians". mod.gov.az. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  21. ^ "Defense Ministry: Azerbaijan Army's Troops launches counter-offensive operation along entire front". Trend News Agency. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  22. ^ Ոչնչացվել են հակառակորդի 4 ուղղաթիռ, շուրջ 15 ԱԹՍ, 10 տանկ և հետևակի մարտական մեքենա. ԼՂ ՊՆ, RFE/RL
  23. ^ Власти Азербайджана ограничили доступ к интернету после обстрелов в Карабахе, Dozhd, 27 September 2020
  24. ^ Blamont, Matthias (27 September 2020). Evans, Catherine (ed.). "France calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to end hostilities". Reuters. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Georgia concerned with resumption of hostilities between Armenia, Azerbaijan". Agenda.ge. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  26. ^ Россия призвала Ереван и Баку прекратить огонь в Нагорном Карабахе, Izvestia, 27 September 2020


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