War in Europe's shadow: In the conflict region Nagorno-Karabakh there are many injured and also dead after new battles.
Armenia and Azerbaijan blame each other.
Since Sunday there have
been
firefights
between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops
in the
crisis region of Nagorno-Karabakh
.
The governments in
Yerevan
and
Baku
have declared a
state of war
.
Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas
(SPD) called on the
conflicting parties
to return to diplomacy.
Update from September 28, 3:20 p.m.:
The fighting over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region
between
Armenia
and
Azerbaijan
continues to claim many deaths.
According to the
pro-Armenian regional government
, 39 people were killed on Sunday.
Among them are 15 pro-Armenian fighters, it said.
Seven civilian fatalities were reported on Sunday, including five Azerbaijani and two Armenian.
The number of victims could be much higher.
The government in Azerbaijan said it had killed
550 pro-Armenian fighters
.
Armenia
denied the report and declared that it had killed "dozen" Azerbaijani soldiers.
Update from September 28, 10:20 a.m.:
On Monday night, there were
again intense
firefights between
pro-Armenian rebels and the Azerbaijani army
in the
Nagorno-Karabakh
region
.
That reports
zeit.de with reference to official information.
The
death toll
rose to 39. As the Armenian
Ministry of Defense announced
, the opposing side is said to have used heavy equipment and artillery in the morning.
The
military
in
Azerbaijan
said that Armenian forces had shelled the city of Terter on the
Nagorno-Karabakh
border
.
The Central Council of Armenians in Germany, with reference to the German EU Council Presidency, has called on the
Federal Government
to "
defuse
the new and highly dangerous conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh
".
For years there have been
conflicts
between
Armenia
and
Azerbaijan
over the
Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh
.
According to international law, the area belongs to the national territory of Azerbaijan, but is mostly inhabited by Armenians.
+
In terms of international law, the conflict region Nagorno-Karabakh lies on the territory of Azerbaijan, but is predominantly inhabited by Armenians.
© Graphic: Ben Bolte / dpa
Outbreak of war in Nagorno-Karabakh: Foreign Minister Maas calls for a return to diplomacy
The conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh
flared up again after a long period of rest on Sunday with firefights between the two parties.
The governments in
Yerevan
and
Baku
accused the other party of having
embarked on
the
aggression
and declared a state of war, as reported by fr.de *.
Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas
(SPD) called on the governments to return to diplomacy.
"I call on both parties to the conflict to immediately stop all fighting, and in particular the shelling of villages and towns."
New massive disputes between Armenia & Azerbaijan alarm me.
Call on parties to immediately stop all fighting and especially the shelling of villages and towns.
Conflict over the region #BergKarabach can only be resolved in negotiations.-AM @HeikoMaas pic.twitter.com/QQ9xrTdzwu
- Federal Foreign Office (@AuswaertigesAmt) September 27, 2020
Outbreak of war in Europe's shadow: conflict escalates - Russia and Turkey on different sides
Initial report from September 27, 2020:
Baku / Yerevan -
Armenia
has declared a
state of war
in the conflict region Nagorno-Karabakh after fighting with neighboring Azerbaijan
.
The Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Sunday in Yerevan.
Azerbaijan had previously announced a military operation against Nagorno-Karabakh.
There are said to be numerous injuries and around
ten deaths
among the soldiers in the South Caucasus region.
It is the worst escalation in decades.
Nagorno-Karabakh: Heavy fighting in the capital Stepanakert
According to information from both sides, heavy fighting broke out on Sunday morning between the warring neighboring countries.
The
capital Stepanakert
had been shelled, the people should get to safety, said the authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Numerous houses in villages have been destroyed.
According to reports from Baku and Yerevan, the fighting continued.
Both sides blamed each other
for the fighting.
The shelling began early in the morning from the Azerbaijani side, wrote Pashinyan on Facebook.
"The entire responsibility for this lies with the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan," said the spokeswoman for the Defense Ministry of Armenia.
Yerevan shot down helicopters and combat drones.
Three enemy tanks were hit.
Baku denied this and stressed that the fighting was a counter-offensive on the front line.
Armenia provoked the fighting.
+
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has escalated.
According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, the picture shows how Armenian forces destroy an Azerbaijani military vehicle.
© AP / Armenian Ministry of Defense
Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia sees Russia as a protecting power, Turkey stands behind Azerbaijan
The
Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is controlled by Armenia,
belongs to the Islamic
region of
Azerbaijan under international law.
Baku had lost control of the area inhabited by Christian Karabakh Armenians in a war after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
A ceasefire has existed in the region since 1994, but it has been repeatedly broken.
The conflict last flared up sharply in 2016.
More than 120 people died.
In July there was heavy fighting on the border between the warring republics;
however, the fighting was hundreds of kilometers north of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia relies on
Russia
as a protective power, which has stationed thousands of soldiers and weapons there.
Fighting broke out in the Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which sits within Azerbaijan, with Armenia declaring martial law and total military mobilization.https: //t.co/b7xyuIagqt
- Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) September 27, 2020
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on both sides to stop the fire immediately
.
Baku and Yerevan should also start talks to stabilize the situation.
Neighboring Turkey accused Armenia of violating international law.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara announced that it strongly condemned the "Armenian attack".
Turkey is on Azerbaijan's side.
The EU and Foreign Minister Maas demand an immediate end to the fighting
The EU and the Council of Europe have urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to end the fighting immediately.
EU Council President
Charles Michel
was deeply concerned on Sunday via Twitter.
"In order to prevent further escalation, military action must urgently stop." The only way out is the immediate return to negotiations without preconditions.
"The
European Union
calls for an immediate end to the fighting, for de-escalation and for strict monitoring of the ceasefire," said EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell.
He also called for a return to negotiations.
Council of Europe
Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric said that both countries should take responsibility and exercise restraint.
The fighting should cease immediately.
“On joining the Council of Europe, both countries committed themselves to resolving the conflict by peaceful means, and this obligation must be strictly observed.” Pejcinovic Buric called on both sides to do everything in their power to protect human lives.
Germany and France were also deeply concerned about the clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh and reports of civilian casualties.
"France demands an immediate end to the fighting and a resumption of the dialogue," said the French Foreign Ministry in Paris.
German Foreign Minister
Heiko Maas
emphasized
in Berlin
that the conflict could only be resolved by negotiation
.
The OSCE Minsk Group, with its three co-chairs France, Russia and the USA, is ready for this.
The OSCE is the organization for security and cooperation in Europe.
(
fd / dpa) * fr.de is part of the Ippen digital editorial network.
List of rubric lists: © dpa-Bildfunk