- The Azerbajain Ministry of Defence has stated that this is a military operation "against terrorism", and according to the Armenian People's Advocate, Azerbaijani army bombs have already killed 25 people. The Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh have been in lockdown for at least nine months, as the Azerbaijani Government has closed the main step with Armenia. Both sides are agreeing to a cease-fire in recent hours, according to various sources.
Shortly after the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence announced an "anti-terrorist" military operation on social media, missile and bomb launches begin in the Stepanakert capital of Nagorno Karabakh and other locations. According to the Armenian Ombudsman, the bombings have caused at least 25 deaths.
In its communiqué, the Azerbaijani Government states that the operation to restore "constitutional order" is a response to attacks by the Armenian armed forces.
A few hours earlier, after some anti-personnel mines had been exploited, four Acerbic soldiers died in Jojavand and Baku accused the Armenian army of this attack. On the contrary, the Armenian Government has denied responsibility for this and has asked the UN Security Council and Russia for help.
Various sources suggest that the two parties negotiate a cease-fire in recent hours with Russia as an intermediary, and that a meeting will soon be held in Yevlakh, the capital of Azerbaijan.
Elimination of Armenians
According to Beglaryan, former Nagorno-Karabakh Minister of State, Artak, is using heavy artillery in Azerbaijan in "mass attack" on citizens. As the Government of Azerbaijan explained by a note, in the mountainous country of Nagorno Karabakh "After an eight-month blockade of the 120,000 Armenians, with hunger and persecution of moral and psychological scarcity, it now intends to intentionally eliminate them".
The country ' s only gateway to Armenia, Latxin, has long been closed by the Government of Azerbaijan. Gegham Stepanyan, human rights defender at Nagorno Karabahk, warns of the proximity of a "genocide", and so does the country's foreign minister Sergey Ghazaryan.
The second war between Armenia and Azerbaijan ended in 2020 through a peace agreement – the first one erupted in 1990 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union – but since then the tension between the two countries, with Nagorno Karabakh in the centre.
Protests in the Armenian capital
Protests have opened on Tuesday night in the capital of Armenia, Erevan, and many demonstrators have attempted to enter the government headquarters. Many Armenians have become angry with the attitude of the Armenian Government and are accused of leaving the Christian Orthodox of Nagorno Karabakh in the hands of Azerbaijan.
In recent times, Erevan has conducted military exercises with the United States army and has shown its closeness to Washington, while historically friendly relations with Russia are not in their best condition. "Armenia acknowledges that Nagorno Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, what should we do? ", said Russian President Vladimir Putin recently.
You will find more information on this topic in our channel dedicated to Nagorno Karabakhi.