“In Karabakh, Azerbaijani armed forces have gained control over more than 60 positions of separatist Armenian military units since the start of the attack on Tuesday, according to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense.
Azerbaijan’s defense ministry spokesman Anar Eyvazov said in a press conference, ‘More than 60 Armenian (separatist) armed forces units are now under the control of our armed forces.’
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. However, it is inhabited by a predominantly Armenian and Christian population with close ties to the Armenian government. Control over this region has been contested, with a conflict in the early 1990s and another war in 2020, which Azerbaijan won after Russian mediation.
In the past nine months, Azerbaijan has imposed a blockade on the Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia and the Karabakh region. Azerbaijan announced on Tuesday that six people, including four police officers, have been killed in landmine explosions during this campaign.
Armenian officials have stated that Azerbaijan has killed 25 people and injured 138 in the campaign. Separatist Armenian forces vowed not to surrender, and Azerbaijan announced on Tuesday that they had initiated an anti-separatist campaign in the mountainous region.
Meanwhile, opposition protesters in Armenia clashed with police outside the parliament building in Yerevan, accusing their leader of being a traitor and calling for his resignation. Azerbaijan has stated that there will be no end to the anti-separatist campaign in Nagorno-Karabakh until the Armenian separatists surrender. The situation may escalate in Yevlakh, a town located about 100 kilometers north of Khan Kandy, the capital of Karabakh, where the predominantly Armenian population is concentrated.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support for Azerbaijan in the Karabakh campaign, saying the country has the right to keep its territory intact. He made these remarks during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Iran has also called for a ceasefire in the Karabakh campaign and urged both Azerbaijan and Armenia to show restraint, despite being a signatory to the 2020 ceasefire agreement. Iran, like Russia, maintains close relations with Armenia.
Several countries, including France and Germany, have called on Azerbaijan to halt the war. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that Azerbaijan has violated its pledge to immediately cease military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh and urged them to end the military campaign. France has characterized the attack as unacceptable.
Russia has urged both Azerbaijan and Armenia to engage in direct dialogue and sit down at the negotiating table to resolve the crisis peacefully.”
Source: BBC, Al Jazeera, Daily Sabah
