In response to Azerbaijan's massive offensive on Sunday, the presidency of the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh, backed by Armenia, declared
"general mobilization"
.
"I have decreed martial law and general mobilization for those over 18,"
Karabakh leader Araïk Aroutiounian said during an extraordinary session of the local parliament, according to the presidency.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Alievn, for his part, promised victory in a speech on television.
“The Azerbaijani army is fighting today on its territory, defends its territorial integrity, delivers devastating blows to the enemy.
Our cause is just and we will win, ”
he said.
Civilians and soldiers were killed in heavy fighting that broke out in the Nagorno Karabakh region on Sunday.
Azerbaijan and the Armenian separatists then accused each other of having started hostilities.
“Deaths and injuries have been reported among civilians and soldiers,”
the Azerbaijani presidency said, while the Karabakh public ombudsperson said there were
“civilian casualties”
among the population of the region.
Read also: Why Armenia and Azerbaijan clash on their border
Nagorno Karabakh is a secessionist region of Azerbaijan, populated mainly by Armenians and supported by Armenia.
A woman and a child have died in the area, for his part reported the press secretary of the Armenian Ministry of Defense.
Two Azerbaijani helicopters were shot down, the ministry, which supports the separatists, said earlier.
Azerbaijan for its part claimed to have launched a
"counter-offensive"
after an attack by the separatists, and reported only one downed machine.
Turkey and Russia as arbitrators
"We severely condemn Armenia's attack on Azerbaijan"
, reacted the spokesperson for the Turkish presidency on Twitter, assuring Azerbaijan of
"Turkey's full support"
.
Used to playing the role of arbiter in the region where it has interests, Russia for its part called for an
"immediate ceasefire"
in Nagorny Karabakh.
"We call on the parties to immediately cease fire and begin negotiations in order to stabilize the situation,"
the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that
"intense bombardments are occurring along the line of contact of two sides ”
.
A major conflict involving Yerevan and Baku could result in the intervention of competing powers in the Caucasus region, Russia and Turkey.
Nagorno Karabakh was the scene of a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives.
Since then, the Azerbaijani authorities have wanted to regain control, by force if necessary, while peace talks have been deadlocked for many years.
There are regular fights between separatists and Azerbaijanis, as well as Yerevan and Baku.
In 2016, serious armed clashes almost degenerated into war in Karabakh, and fighting also pitted Armenians and Azerbaijanis on their border in July 2020.
