According to Armenia’s prime minister, at least 49 Armenian soldiers were killed Tuesday when Azerbaijani forces shelled Armenian territory. Fears of greater hostilities breaking out between the old enemies were stoked by the massive attack.
According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, hostilities erupted just after midnight, with Azerbaijani forces launching an artillery bombardment and drone attacks throughout large portions of Armenian territory.
The ministry reported that fighting persisted throughout the day despite Russia’s efforts to arrange an immediate ceasefire. It was noted that the bombardment became less intensive, but Azerbaijani troops were still attempting to advance into Armenian territory, according to the report.
In addition to causing damage to civilian facilities, the Azerbaijani shelling reportedly injured an unidentified number of persons, according to the ministry.
Azerbaijan alleged that its forces retaliated to “large-scale provocation” by the Armenian military, saying that Armenian troops laid mines and repeatedly fired on Azerbaijani military positions, causing unspecified casualties and damage to military infrastructure.
This image, obtained from a YouTube video uploaded by the Armenian Defense Ministry on September 13, 2022, supposedly depicts Azerbaijani troops breaching the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and nearing Armenian positions. Via AP, the Armenian Defense Ministry
In an overnight discussion with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced “grave concern” over the military activity near the border, according to a State Department readout.
“Secretary Blinken asked President Aliyev to cease hostilities and emphasized that the United States will seek an immediate halt of hostilities and a peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” according to the report.
Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan but has been under the authority of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994, has been a source of contention between Azerbaijan and Armenia for decades.
In 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured large portions of Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week conflict that killed over 6,600 lives and ended with a peace agreement negotiated by Russia. Moscow, which deployed some 2,000 troops to the region to serve as peacekeepers in accordance with the agreement, has endeavored to maintain cordial relations with both ex-Soviet states.
Aliyev had a meeting with military leaders to discuss the situation in Azerbaijan. “It was noted that the political leadership of Armenia bears all responsibility for the current crisis,” his office added.
Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, also held Armenia responsible for the violence. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu demanded that Yerevan halt its “provocations,” while Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar condemned “Armenia’s hostile stance and provocative activities.”
Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated in a parliamentary address early on Tuesday that at least 49 Armenian soldiers were killed by Azerbaijani firing. He denied categorically the Azerbaijani argument that its actions were in response to Armenian provocations.
Pashinyan noted that Azerbaijan’s decision followed his previous conversations with Aliyev in Brussels, which he regarded as revealing Azerbaijan’s firm stance.
As fighting raged throughout the night, Pashinyan called Russian President Vladimir Putin and then spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and Blinken about the conflict.
The Armenian government announced that it would formally request assistance from Russia in accordance with an existing treaty of friendship between the two nations, as well as appeal to the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, an ex-Soviet security alliance that includes Armenia.
During a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refrained from commenting on Armenia’s request, but noted that Putin was “making every effort to assist de-escalate tensions.”
According to the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the security meeting’s top officials met to discuss the fighting. During the meeting, the Armenian ambassador underscored that Yerevan expects its partners to take “effective collective efforts to protect Armenia’s security, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.”
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised both sides “to stop from further escalation and exercise caution.”
Maintaining strong economic and security relations with Armenia, which hosts a Russian military base, while also fostering tight collaboration with oil-rich Azerbaijan is a difficult balancing act.
Current News