“Anti-terrorism” operations
- Earlier Tuesday, Azerbaijan launched operations it said were “against terrorism” in Nagorno-Karabakh.
- This came after 6 of its citizens were killed in the explosion of two mines in two separate incidents.
- It appears that the scope of the operations is much larger than what was announced by Azerbaijan, as Armenia said that what was happening was a “comprehensive aggression,” and called on Russian forces present as peacekeepers in the region to stop it.
- Later, Baku stated that all separatist Armenian authorities in the region should be dissolved.
- Videos and eyewitness accounts showed bombings and rocket launches in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Signs of calm and peace
This escalation came after signs of calm in the region with the entry of aid trucks organized by the International Red Cross.
The Russian “TASS” agency reported two days ago that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that his country and Azerbaijan could reach a peace agreement by the end of the year.
But this is unlikely to happen after the recent clashes, according to observers.
The region’s bloody story
- The region is located in the heart of Azerbaijan and its capital is Sitpankert, but it has been under Armenian control since the war that broke out in the early 1990s.
- The region is about 270 kilometers away from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to the west.
- The area of the region is 4,800 square kilometers, dominated by mountainous nature.
- The region is inhabited by about one hundred and fifty thousand people. Armenians currently represent about 95 percent of their population.
- Nagorno-Karabakh is a region poor in its economic resources. Economic activity in it depends on agriculture, livestock raising, and some food industries from popular crops such as grains, cotton, and tobacco.
- In 1992, the region announced its secession from Azerbaijan without this being recognized by any country, even Armenia. However, elections were held in the region in August 2002.
- The “undeclared” goal of both parties with the renewal of the conflict is to control the largest area of land in the region, or to defend its current locations of deployment.
- Observers believe that the conflict today has transcended the two neighboring countries, becoming a power struggle and a proxy war between different powers in that region.
The most prominent international positions on the conflict
- The European Union condemned foreign interference in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
- The United Nations called for an immediate halt to the fighting.
- The United States stressed the necessity of a ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations.
- Russia appealed to all parties, especially the conflicting parties, to exercise restraint.
- China called for political dialogue to resolve differences.
- Türkiye confirmed that it stands with Azerbaijan in the conflict.
- Saudi Arabia called for a ceasefire and turning to peaceful means.
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