Remains
of a downed Azerbaijani forces helicopter lies in a field in the
disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region on Saturday, April 2, 2016
(CNN)Long-simmering
tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan flared again Saturday, with at
least 18 Armenian and 12 Azerbaijani troops killed in fighting,
according to state media reports.
The
violence was centered in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region occupied by
Armenian forces but surrounded and claimed by Azerbaijan. Where it
belongs has been in dispute for years, though it's been relatively rare
of late for this discord to erupt in bloodshed.
That's
what happened Friday night and Saturday. An Azerbaijani Mi-24
helicopter carrying out airstrikes on Armenian military positions was
shot down, and a mine blast damaged a tank, according to Azerbaijan's
official Azertac news agency.
The same report said that six Armenian tanks and 15 artillery pieces were destroyed, while over "100 enemy soldiers were killed and injured."
The Armenpress news agency,
citing President Serzh Sargsyan, said 18 troops were killed and 35
wounded "because of the provocative actions made by the Azerbaijani
armed forces along the entire length of contact line with the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic."
The
U.S. State Department condemned "in the strongest terms the large-scale
ceasefire violations ... which have resulted in a number of reported
casualties, including civilians."
"We
urge the sides to show restraint, avoid further escalation, and
strictly adhere to the ceasefire," said the statement, urging the two
sides to enter into negotiations. "We reiterate that there is no
military solution to the conflict."
Each county blamed the other for the fresh hostilities.
Armenia
said "the adversary" undertook "offensive actions," trying to
"infiltrate deep into the defensive lines of the (Armenian army) and
seize tactical positions using tanks, artillery and air force," according to a Defense Ministry statement.
The "enemy retreated" after Armenian forces responded, with the Defense Ministry noting that "military operations are ongoing."
The
Armenian military "strongly condemns the hostilities and the aggressive
and irresponsible decisions made by the Azerbaijani authorities," the
ministry said. "Azerbaijani authorities are to be held fully accountable
for the unprecedented escalation of tensions along the Nagorno Karabakh
and Azerbaijan contact line."
The Azerbaijani government, by contrast, characterized the Armenian forces as the aggressor.
Hikmat
Hajiyev, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, accused them of intentionally
and "intensively" shelling "settlements near the front line, where
civilians closely live."
He said the Armenians "killed and injured several civilians," in addition to firing on Azerbaijani troops.
"As
an aggressive country, Armenia bears responsibility (for) the current
situation," Hajiyev said, the Azertac news agency reported.
More than two decades ago, the two former Soviet republics fought a fierce war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Azerbaijan
gained formal independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991 after
initially declaring its national sovereignty in 1988. Since then, it has
been locked in a territorial dispute with ethnic Armenian separatists.
A
six-year conflict from 1988 to 1994 saw separatists, backed by troops
from Armenia, and Azerbaijani forces fight over the Nagorno-Karabakh and
Nakhichevan regions in southwest Azerbaijan.
In
1994, a ceasefire was reached, but by then, the separatists, who are
seeking full independence from Azerbaijan, had taken control of
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding provinces.
There's been less violence of late, though the area remains volatile.
No comments:
Post a Comment