An escalation of the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The fighting has left three soldiers dead and Azerbaijan has said it has taken control of several strategic areas in the disputed region.
Tensions flared on Wednesday local time when Azerbaijan said it had lost one soldier and the Karabakh army said two of its soldiers had been killed and more than a dozen wounded.
The escalation drew international attention and condemnation, with Russia accusing Azerbaijan of violating a fragile ceasefire and the European Union calling for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”.
Archenemies Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars, one in the 1990s and a six-week conflict in 2020, over Azerbaijan’s Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The six weeks of fighting claimed more than 6,500 lives in 2020 and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Armenia was forced to surrender territory it had controlled for decades in the most recent war.
Russia deployed roughly 2,000 peacekeepers to oversee a fragile truce, but tensions persist, despite a ceasefire agreement.
What happened in this latest outbreak of fighting?
Azerbaijan’s defense ministry said Karabakh troops targeted army positions in the Lachin district, which is under the supervision of the Russian peacekeeping force, killing an Azerbaijani recruit.
The Azerbaijani military later said it carried out an operation called “Revenge” in response and took control of several strategic heights in Karabakh.
The separatist state’s army accused Azerbaijan of violating a ceasefire and killing two soldiers and wounding 14 others.
In response, the Karabakh army declared a “partial mobilization” in a statement.
The disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. (ABC News: Jarrod Fankhauser)
Armenia called on the international community to help stop Azerbaijan’s “aggressive actions” after the outbreak.
“Azerbaijan continues its policy of terror against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Armenia accused Azerbaijan of wanting to make unilateral changes to the Lachin Corridor, a mountain road linking Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
Armenia’s Prime Minister criticizes Russia, but what did he say?
After the eruption, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed a rare criticism of his ally, Moscow.
He questioned the work of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Questions arise in Armenian society about the Russian peacekeeping operation in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Pashinyan told a government meeting on Thursday.
It noted “serious and prolonged violations of a ceasefire regime” and “constant physical and psychological terror” of Karabakh residents in the presence of peacekeepers.
Thousands of people were killed in a six-week period in 2020. (AP)
Pashinyan said the role of the Russian peacekeeping mission must be “clarified,” adding that Armenia hoped the contingent would prevent “any attempt to violate the contact line.”
The two sides accuse each other of violating the fragile truce.
What does Russia say?
Russia has accused Azerbaijan of breaking the ceasefire and has promised to stabilize the situation.
“The ceasefire regime was violated by the armed forces of Azerbaijan around the height of Saribaba,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. “The command of the Russian peacekeeping force, with representatives from Azerbaijan and Armenia, is taking steps to stabilize the situation.”
The escalation came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. (Reuters: Kremlin/Sputnik/Pavel Byrkin)
The Russian Foreign Ministry also intervened.
“We express our extreme concern over the escalation of tensions,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
He called on all parties “to show restraint and observe a ceasefire”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dimitri Peskov, also said the Kremlin was concerned about rising tensions.
“We ask the parties to be reserved and to comply with all the provisions of the known trilateral documents,” Peskov said.
The escalation came after Putin spoke with Pashinyan on Tuesday.
What about western countries? Have they weighed themselves?
The European Union has called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”.
“It is essential to de-escalate, fully respect the ceasefire and return to the negotiating table to seek negotiated solutions,” said a spokesman for the head of EU foreign policy, Josep Borrell.
“The European Union remains committed to helping overcome tensions and continue its commitment to sustainable peace and stability in the South Caucasus,” he added.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price also expressed concern about the new fighting.
It called for “immediate steps to reduce tensions and prevent further escalation” and “a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable solution to all remaining issues” linked to the conflict.
ABC/Wires