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In this handout video grab released by the Azerbaijan Defence Ministry, Azeri military personnel conduct military operations in self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. On September 27 clashes erupted between Armenian and Azeri forces along the line of contact in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh - Sputnik International

Live Updates: Azerbaijani Forces Able to Retaliate if Armenia Uses Iskander Missile System - FM

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Last week, the situation escalated along the contact line of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-majority autonomy that proclaimed independence from Azerbaijan in 1991. Armenia and Azerbaijan waged war over the disputed territory until 1994, and since the end of the war both sides have been holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence accused Armenian forces of attacking the city of Terter on Monday, promising to retaliate in kind. The ministry also claimed that servicemen destroyed at least two Armenian tanks amid the recent clashes. At the same time, Yerevan said that Azerbaijan is continuing to attack the region using heavy artillery.

Military hostilities erupted between the two sides on Sunday along the contact line of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-majority autonomy that proclaimed independence from what was then Soviet Azerbaijan in 1991, with each side blaming the other for putting civilian lives in danger.

Multiple casualties have been reported by both sides. Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh declared martial law and general mobilisation on Sunday, while Azerbaijan declared partial martial law, but refrained from mobilisation.

Numerous countries and international organisations, including the United Nations, have called on the conflicting parties to immediately cease fire and return to an OSCE-facilitated dialogue without preconditions.

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22:41 GMT 28.09.2020

Canada and the United Kingdom in a joint statement called for the immediate cessation of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Canada and the United Kingdom are deeply concerned by reports of large scale military action along the Line of Contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. Reports of shelling settlements and civilian casualties are deeply concerning. We call for the immediate end of hostilities, respect for the ceasefire agreement, and the protection of civilians," the statement said on Monday.

21:24 GMT 28.09.2020

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) said on Monday that Switzerland supported the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs' efforts aimed at resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through dialogue and expressed readiness to host high-level meetings between Armenia and Azerbaijan on its neutral territory.

"Switzerland reminds both sides to uphold their obligations under international law, in particular to protect the civilian population. As there is no alternative to a peaceful solution of the conflict, substantive negotiations must be resumed immediately and without preconditions. Switzerland fully supports the efforts of the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group towards a negotiated conflict solution and is ready to host meetings at the highest level, as has been done in the past," the FDFA said in a statement.

20:27 GMT 28.09.2020

The Defense Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic announced on Monday evening the deaths of another 26 of its servicemen on the contact line in Karabakh.

In total, the ministry has published the names of 84 killed soldiers by now.

19:33 GMT 28.09.2020

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan convened an emergency meeting of the republic's Security Council on Monday to discuss the situation on the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"During the meeting, issues related to the operational situation on the Karabakh-Azerbaijani line of contact and the infliction of a proportionate strike on the enemy by the Armenian armed forces were discussed," the government's statement says.

18:13 GMT 28.09.2020

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during a video conference with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres that the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh should be settled on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions.

"The President of Azerbaijan said that the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be settled only on the basis of international law, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian Armed Forces from the occupied territories", Aliyev's press service said.

18:03 GMT 28.09.2020

"Pakistan stands with the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan and supports its right of self-defence. We support Azerbaijan’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh, which is in line with the several unanimously adopted UN Security Council resolutions", the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Islamabad also called on Armenia to cease its military activity to prevent further tensions.

18:01 GMT 28.09.2020
17:40 GMT 28.09.2020

Armenian Defence Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan stated that the troops of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic stopped an "offensive operation" by Azerbaijan on the contact line in Karabakh.

"A large-scale offensive operation is being conducted in the valley of the Aras River [near the border with Iran, in the south of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic] and the Mataghis-Talysh sector [in the north of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic]. The Defence Army [of Karabakh] successfully repels all attacks, causing damage to the enemy in manpower and equipment. Currently, 22 tanks, ten units of other armoured vehicles, over 370 military personnel have been destroyed", Hovhannisyan wrote on Facebook.

According to the spokesman, there are many wounded among the Azerbaijani military, 35 percent of them are seriously injured.

17:39 GMT 28.09.2020

The Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations told Sputnik it cannot confirm that an emergency meeting at the UN Security Council has been scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"There is no confirmation of such a meeting", the mission said on Monday when asked whether the council will address the most recent clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

16:03 GMT 28.09.2020

Turkey considers it unnecessary to deploy either its military or opposition fighters from Syria to the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is currently the site of a reignited conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Yasin Aktay, an aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told Sputnik on Monday.

"I think that Turkey will not participate [in the conflict] with its military strength, there is no need for that, technical assistance is enough. But the road is open if the need arises," Aktay said.

"Why does Turkey need to send Syrian fighters? There is no need for that," the aide added.

15:40 GMT 28.09.2020

Spain has urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to ensure an immediate ceasefire following an escalation of hostilities in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Monday.

"The only way to resolve the differences in Nagorno-Karabakh is through negotiations and dialogue, not through violence," the minister said at a press conference with her Slovenian counterpart, Anze Logar, calling for "de-escalation and cessation of hostilities."

The Spanish foreign minister also noted that the conflict should be resolved through diplomatic efforts under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

15:26 GMT 28.09.2020

The secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Stanislav Zas, is very concerned over the Armenian-Azerbaijani escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh, his spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov said Monday.

"CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas is very concerned and worried about the resumption of the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, which happened on September 27 and resulted in fatalities and injuries on both sides, among civilians, too," the secretary general was quoted as saying.

Zas is calling on both sides to launch a ceasefire and resume talks.

Armenia is a CSTO member, while Azerbaijan used to be one.

14:46 GMT 28.09.2020

The Azerbaijani forces have destroyed several Armenian combat vehicles in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh amid a new military escalation in the area, the country's Defense Ministry said on Monday.

"As a result of precise strikes by Azerbaijan Army units, several more combat vehicles belonging to the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in different directions of the front. The video shows the destruction moments of enemy combat vehicles," the ministry said in a statement.

The Armenian Defense Ministry, in turn, also posted a video on Monday, showing the destruction of the Azerbaijani military equipment.

Tensions along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on Sunday morning when both countries accused each other of military provocations. Yerevan and the unrecognized breakaway republic immediately took the decision to declare martial law and a full-scale mobilization. Baku, on its part, declared partial martial law and refrained from general mobilization.

14:10 GMT 28.09.2020
Shelling - Sputnik International
Shelling - Sputnik International
Shelling - Sputnik International
Shelling - Sputnik International
12:37 GMT 28.09.2020

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) told Sputnik on Monday that the Azerbaijani army guaranteed continuation of commercial operations, and pipelines safety amid clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"As of now, pipelines safety and systematic continuation of commercial operations is secured thanks to containment measures by Azerbaijan's defending army," SOCAR spokesman Ibrahim Ahmedov said.

According to Ahmedov, Russia's energy giant Lukoil is engaged in the Southern Gas Corridor project — which envisions the construction of a gas supply route from Caspian and Mideastern regions to Europe — along with SOCAR, BP and other international partners.

12:31 GMT 28.09.2020

Armenia is preparing for a long-standing war over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, Vagharshak Harutyunyan, the chief adviser to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, said on Monday, amid an escalation between Yerevan and Baku in the area, adding that Turkey is pursuing it geopolitical interests in the conflict.

"We are preparing for the long-term war. Why? Because I keep telling that the main player here is not Azerbaijan, but Turkey. It pursues its own geopolitical interests. The duration of the war will depend on many factors, including how the fighting goes and the reaction of the international community," Harutyunyan, who worked as the Armenian defense minister in the late 1990s, told a Latvian YouTube channel in an interview.

The adviser recalled that dozens of casualties had already been reported by both sides of the conflict.

12:16 GMT 28.09.2020
Armenian Defence Minister arrives in Stepanakert - Sputnik International
12:12 GMT 28.09.2020

Belarus is ready to do everything possible to promote dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan and assist the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"We are not just urging, but sincerely asking Azerbaijan and Armenia, which are both our important partners, to halt combat operations, reject use of weapons and find ways toward peaceful settlement, including through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Minsk group. We confirm readiness to provide any assistance that is needed in order to promote dialogue between the sides in this format or other formats that they find appropriate," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also expressed concerns over use of heavy weapons and aviation in the conflict area.

"Today, the most important thing is to stop the bloodshed as soon as possible and avoid new victims. Human lives are invaluable, so it is extremely important to make effort toward regional peace and stability," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry went on to say.

11:34 GMT 28.09.2020

Baku has proportionate response to use if Armenia uses its Iskander missile systems, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told Sputnik on Monday as the two countries' conflict flared up over the past few days.

"Unfortunately, anything can be expected from Armenia. It is hard for me to comment from the military point of view, what response there would be .... I am sure that the Azerbaijani forces have adequate response," the minister said, when asked what the response could be if Armenia used Iskanders.

11:22 GMT 28.09.2020

The Turkish president said on Monday the OSCE Minsk Group had been unable to solve the conflict over the disputed Karabakh region.

"In 30 years, they have been unable to solve this issue. And they have done everything so that it would not be solved. And now they are teaching us, and sometimes threatening us. They ask us if there are Turkish military there [in Karabakh]. If Turkey is supplying weapons. Those who ask this have sent thousands of trucks with weapons to the north of Syria," Erdogan said, referring to the US support of the Syrian Kurds, who are considered an offshoot of a terrorist organization by Ankara.

11:05 GMT 28.09.2020

The European Union is calling on all sides in the Karabakh conflict to do everything possible to prevent a new war and avoid foreign interference, EU Spokesman Peter Stano said Monday.

"We urge everyone to do everything they can in order to prevent an all-out war from breaking out," Stano told a press conference.

The spokesman added that the escalation carried serious risks for the regional stability.

The European Union is calling on all regional powers to help stop the armed conflict.

10:50 GMT 28.09.2020

The German government assesses the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh as very dangerous and calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately halt combat operations, using mechanisms of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), cabinet spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Monday.

"The government sees the escalation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict as a very dangerous development. We call on both sides to immediately cease fire and resume negotiations. There is a special platform for this purpose, the OSCE Minsk group," Seibert said at a briefing.

A spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry noted that Berlin maintained contact with both sides, through its embassies.

10:31 GMT 28.09.2020
10:25 GMT 28.09.2020
10:15 GMT 28.09.2020

European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic called on Monday on the sides of the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

"I call on all sides of the #NagornoKarabakh conflict to do everything necessary to ensure that civilian life and infrastructure is protected in line with their obligation to respect the principles of the international humanitarian law," Lenarcic wrote on Twitter.

10:07 GMT 28.09.2020
08:52 GMT 28.09.2020

Around 30 Armenian servicemen were killed and 100 others injured in clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan said on Monday.

"According to the latest data, there are around 30 fatalities and 100 injuries, but we are still making effort to establish more precise information. I am now talking about the military," Toganyan said.

07:45 GMT 28.09.2020

The number of civilians injured in clashes in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region has grown to 26 in the past 24 hours, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office told Sputnik on Monday.

"Armenia's military and political leadership continue attacks on civilians, multiple houses, civilian infrastructure and economic facilities in gross violation of obligations emanating from the Geneva conventions. They choose densely populated areas as their targets, including district and rural centres, and civilian infrastructure facilities, such as hospitals, medical centres, schools and kindergartens. As many as 26 civilians have been hospitalized with various bodily injuries," the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office said.

Azerbaijani prosecutors reported 19 injured civilians on Sunday.

07:21 GMT 28.09.2020
07:17 GMT 28.09.2020

Yerevan is ready to seek new deliveries of Russian weapons if such a need arises, but foreign military assistance is currently not on the agenda, Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan told Sputnik on Monday.

"Foreign military assistance to Armenia is not on the agenda so far," Toganyan noted.

The ambassador praised the Yerevan-Moscow partnership.

"Our defence cooperation is developing, arms deliveries agreements are being implemented as scheduled. The situation is now changing, we now have a third side, Turkey. If such a need arises, we will certainly make relevant requests ... to Russia, first of all," Toganyan explained.

06:50 GMT 28.09.2020

Azerbaijan has declared partial mobilization of reserve servicemen amid the escalation of tensions with Armenia in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, the presidential press service told Sputnik on Monday.

"Azerbaijani President [Ilham Aliyev] has signed a decree about partial mobilization in Azerbaijan," the press service said.

The order comes into force on the day of its signing.

06:03 GMT 28.09.2020

"Units of the Azerbaijani Army, advancing from the heights and advantageous positions liberated from the armed forces of Armenia, continue their counteroffensive in order to consolidate the achieved success. By launching missile-artillery and air strikes on enemy positions, it forced them to retreat from the positions they were trying to hold", the statement says.

05:27 GMT 28.09.2020

"At night, intensive fighting continued in the southern, southeastern, and northern directions of the front line. As a result of a counterattack, troops from the [Nagorno-Karabakh] Defence Army inflicted heavy losses on enemy personnel and military equipment. The Defence Army restored a number of previously lost positions", the statement says.

05:16 GMT 28.09.2020

According to the Armenian Defence Ministry, Baku used BM-30 Smerch heavy rocket launchers against Nagorno-Karabakh. A photo and a video, allegedly depicting shrapnel from a rocket has been shared by users on social media.

Մարտակերտի վրա կրակել են Սմերչով` թիրախավորելով խաղաղ բնակչությանը, բարեբախտաբար կորուստներ չունենք

Опубликовано Դավիթ Թորոսյան Воскресенье, 27 сентября 2020 г.
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