YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — In a recent development, Azerbaijan has initiated an “anti-terrorist operation” specifically targeting Armenian military positions within the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Officials from the region have reported heavy artillery fire near its capital.
The Azerbaijani defense ministry made the announcement shortly after four soldiers and two civilians tragically lost their lives due to landmine explosions in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Although the ministry has not yet provided specific details, it stated that “high-precision weapons” are being utilized to incapacitate “positions on the front line and in-depth, long-term firing points of the formations of Armenia’s armed forces, as well as combat assets and military facilities.”
Azerbaijan emphasizes that only “legitimate military targets” are being affected by this operation.
However, ethnic Armenian officials in Nagorno-Karabakh released a statement expressing their concerns, stating that the capital Stepanakert and other villages are currently “under intense shelling.”
This raises worries of a potential resurgence of a full-scale war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, who engaged in a heavy conflict lasting six weeks in 2020.
Explosions in the Nagorno-Karabakh Region
Earlier today, Azerbaijan reported tragic news of two separate explosions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is partly controlled by ethnic Armenian forces.
Fatalities and Circumstances
According to a joint statement from Azerbaijan’s interior ministry, state security service, and prosecutor-general, the first explosion occurred before dawn, claiming the lives of two highway department employees. Their vehicle was tragically blown up by a mine. In response to this incident, a truck carrying soldiers also hit a mine, resulting in the death of four individuals.
Historical Context
Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding territories were mainly under ethnic Armenian control following the end of a separatist war in 1994. However, Azerbaijan managed to reclaim these territories, along with parts of Nagorno-Karabakh itself, during a six-week conflict in 2020. The war concluded with an armistice that involved the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Allegations and Consequences
Azerbaijan has accusatively claimed that Armenia has been smuggling weapons into the region since the end of the war. As a result of these allegations, the road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia has been subjected to a blockade. This blockade has caused severe shortages of essential commodities, including food and medicine, in the region.
Humanitarian Aid
The Red Cross managed to send shipments of flour and medical supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh on Monday. However, local officials have claimed that the road connections to the region are not yet fully operational.
