On Tuesday, the Ministry of Defense in Azerbaijan announced the commencement of an “anti-terrorist” operation in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Simultaneously, Armenian media and local authorities reported a substantial bombardment of the regional capital, Stepanakert.

Reports indicate that the Azerbaijan military, employing artillery, missiles, and drones, unleashed a barrage of attacks that resulted in at least five casualties, including a child, and left 80 people injured, according to Armenian state news sources, CNN reported.

Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnically Armenian enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, has been a source of conflict between these neighboring nations, leading to two wars within the past three decades, with the most recent outbreak occurring in 2020.

Tensions had been escalating in the region for several months, particularly after Azerbaijani forces blockaded the Lachin corridor in December, severing the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and disrupting the flow of essential supplies to its approximately 120,000 residents.

Russian peacekeepers, deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with the 2020 ceasefire agreement, were tasked with preventing the reemergence of hostilities.

However, Moscow has faced accusations of either being incapable or unwilling to intervene effectively in support of Armenia, its longstanding ally, as Azerbaijan continued its aggressive actions.

The Karabakh authorities have expressed a desire for immediate talks with Azerbaijan in light of the ongoing shelling of the region.

In response, the Azerbaijani Presidency conveyed its willingness to engage in discussions with Karabakh Armenians but stipulated in a statement: “To halt the anti-terrorist operations, illegal Armenian armed groups must surrender all weapons, raise the white flag, and the illegal regime must dissolve itself. Otherwise, the anti-terrorist operations will persist until their conclusion.”

Written by staff