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Armenia and Azerbaijan allege shelling attacks outside Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia and Azerbaijan allege attacks outside Nagorno-Karabakh
(about 5 hours later)
UN to hold emergency talks on third day of fighting over contested territory Turkey denies claim it shot down Armenian jet, as UN announces emergency talks
Armenia and Azerbaijan have accused each other of launching attacks outside of Nagorno-Karabakh, with claims of one civilian death, as the UN security council said it would hold emergency talks to try to end the fighting over the contested region. Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan threatened to escalate as both sides accused each other of targeting border areas outside Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian officials claimed Turkey was deploying fighter jets in the conflict.
Armenia’s foreign ministry said one civilian was killed in the Vardenis after Azerbaijani forces shelled “civilian-military infrastructure” in the border town of Vardenis miles away from the breakaway territory. It also claimed a civilian bus in the town was set on fire by an unmanned drone. Armenia’s defence ministry said one of its Sukhoi Su-25 jets was shot down on Tuesday morning by a Turkish F-16 that had taken off from the Ganja airbase in Azerbaijan. “Unfortunately, the pilot died heroically,” the ministry said.
Azerbaijan’s defence ministry had earlier accused Armenia of shelling the Dashkasan region, north of Nagorno-Karabakh – a claim the Armenian foreign ministry denied. Turkish officials quickly dismissed the claim as false and told Bloomberg it was a “cheap propaganda stunt”.
As fears grew of the conflict widening, the UN security council said it would hold emergency talks behind closed doors. The meeting will be held at 5pm ET (9pm GMT) on Tuesday. Belgium formally requested the session, after France and Germany had led a push for it to be placed on the agenda. Armenia’s foreign ministry said earlier that one civilian was killed in Vardenis, a town inside Armenian territory and miles from Nagorno-Karabakh, when Azerbaijani forces shelled “civilian-military infrastructure” in the area. It also claimed a civilian bus in the town was set on fire by an unmanned drone.
As early as Sunday, Estonia - a non-permanent council member - emphasised the need for such talks about the outbreak of deadly violence in the separatist region. Azerbaijan’s defence ministry had earlier accused Armenia of shelling the Dashkasan region, also north of Nagorno-Karabakh – a claim the Armenian foreign ministry denied.
Britain also joined the European push for the talks, said diplomats, who added that a joint declaration could be issued at its conclusion – either by the entire council or its European members if a full consensus cannot be reached. Amid fears that the ongoing fighting could spread to new fronts and draw in other regional actors, the UN security council announced it would hold emergency talks on Tuesday evening behind closed doors in New York. Belgium formally requested the session after France and Germany had led a push for it to be placed on the agenda.
Armenian and Azerbaijani forces fought over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh for a second day Monday, with both sides blaming each other for resuming the attacks that reportedly killed and wounded dozens as the decades-old conflict has reignited. As early as Sunday, Estonia, a non-permanent council member, had emphasised the need for talks over the outbreak of violence. Diplomats said Britain had also joined the European push for the talks, and a joint declaration could be issued at their conclusion, either by the entire council or just its European members if a full consensus could not be reached.
Heavy fighting had broken out Sunday in the region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Yerevan government since 1994 at the end of a separatist war. The fighting over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh broke out on Sunday. Azerbaijan says 10 civilians have been killed and 30 wounded but has not said how many of troops have died. Armenia has released the names of 84 military fatalities.
Fighting continued overnight, the Azerbaijiani defence ministry said, adding that opposing forces attempted to recover lost ground by launching counterattacks in the directions of Fuzuli, Cebrayil, Agdere and Terter. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Yerevan government since 1994 and the end of a separatist war.
Azerbaijani military officials also told the Interfax news agency that over 550 Armenian troops have been destroyed, including those wounded, a claim that Armenia denied. The Azerbaijiani defence ministry said the fighting continued overnight and opposing forces had attempted to recover lost ground by launching counterattacks in the directions of Fuzuli, Cebrayil, Agdere and Terter.
The clashes have taken place in the middle of the annual UN general assembly and raised fears of a war between the two former Soviet republics.The clashes have taken place in the middle of the annual UN general assembly and raised fears of a war between the two former Soviet republics.
At least 95 people have been killed in the most recent fighting, including 11 civilians, according to the latest available tallies. There are concerns that a prolonged war could drag in Russia, which sells weapons to both countries but has a military alliance with Armenia. Iran, which has a sometimes fraught relationship with Azerbaijan, could also become involved.