Azerbaijan launched a military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, three years after the previous war, demanding the “total and unconditional” withdrawal of its Armenian adversary from this disputed region that has been a source of conflict with Armenia for decades. After mediation by Russian peacekeeping forces, the separatists announced a cessation of hostilities.
After two previous wars that scarred the region, the Caucasus may be on the brink of another confrontation. Azerbaijan launched a military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, three years after the last confrontation, demanding the “total and unconditional” withdrawal of its Armenian adversary from this territory disputed with its neighbor for decades. At least two civilians were killed, and 23 others were injured, according to Armenian separatist authorities in this enclave.
Armenian diplomacy denounced a “large-scale aggression” for “ethnic cleansing” purposes, and the country’s Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, urgently convened his Security Council. On the other hand, the separatist forces in the region announced that they are attempting to “resist” the Azerbaijani army, which is already trying to advance “deep into” the enclave and is conducting a “large-scale military operation,” according to them.
Azerbaijan demands the “dissolution of the so-called separatist regime.” It all started on Tuesday morning with the announcement by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense of “anti-terrorist operations” to neutralize “the positions of Armenian armed forces” after the deaths of six Azerbaijanis in a mine explosion at a tunnel construction site between two cities in Nagorno-Karabakh, under Azerbaijani control. Baku attributed this “terrorist” act to a group of “saboteurs” from Armenian separatists.
Azerbaijani diplomacy warned that “the only way to achieve peace and stability” was the “unconditional and total withdrawal of Armenian armed forces” from the territory and the “dissolution of the so-called separatist regime.” The country also stated that it had informed Russia and Turkey of its operations in the enclave, claiming to target only “legitimate military targets” and not civilians. It also announced the establishment of “humanitarian corridors” to evacuate civilians from the region.
Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense accused the Armenian army of injuring two Azerbaijani soldiers in mortar and small arms fire in the Agdam sector in the northeast of Karabakh. It also accused Armenia of firing with small arms at Azerbaijani positions on the border between the two countries at night and Armenian separatists of targeting an Azerbaijani civilian aircraft’s GPS system through radio-electronic interference.
The separatists announced that they will lay down their arms After 24 hours of intense offensive, the separatists announced that they would lay down their arms today, a sine qua non condition set by Baku to end the military operation. A ceasefire came into effect at 9:00 a.m. Universal Time. The cessation of hostilities was decided after mediation by Russian peacekeeping forces. In addition, Armenian separatists have agreed to negotiate their reintegration into Azerbaijan starting Thursday.
