Armed clashes have resumed between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Armenia has called on Russia to help; saying 15 of its soldiers have been killed, while Azerbaijan has captured 12.
According to a statement issued by Armenia on Tuesday, 15 of its soldiers have been killed in clashes with Azerbaijani forces, while Azerbaijan has also seized several areas.
Armenia has confirmed that at least 12 of its soldiers have been captured. Just a year ago, fighting between the two countries continued for six weeks in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, during which at least 6,500 lives were lost. A peace treaty was then brokered by Russia, and the war was considered a defeat for Armenia.
Armenian position
“Armenian soldiers were killed and wounded as a result of the fighting that broke out after the attack by Azerbaijani forces.” According to the statement, Azerbaijan has also seized two military posts.
The position of Azerbaijan
The border is tense and military action is being taken to repel “massive provocations”. According to the statement, Armenian forces are targeting Azeri military bases with artillery and mortar shells, and some Armenian military hardware has been destroyed in response.
According to Russia’s Tass news agency, Armenia has sought help from the Moscow government to defend its border areas. Russia has not yet commented. The EU, meanwhile, has urged immediate “complete ceasefire”
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
The Nagorno-Karabakh region is the source of tension between Muslim-majority Azerbaijan and Orthodox Christian-majority Armenia. The region is part of Azerbaijan but was occupied by ethnic separatists in 1991 after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. So far, about 30,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Most of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan recaptured in last year’s war.
Russian peacekeepers are stationed in the area where the clashes took place last year. Russia also has a military base in Armenia, while Azerbaijan has Turkish support in the conflict.