Armenia shot down 2 Azerbaijan copters & destroyed 3 tanks in clash over disputed region

Two Azerbaijani helicopters were shot down on September 27 after a fight between Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out around the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Susan Stepanyan informed that Armenian forces additionally hit three Azerbaijani tanks. While Stepanyan said that the clashes began with an Azerbaijani attack, Azerbaijan said that the Armenian side attacked and Azerbaijan launched a counteroffensive. 

Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Arminian enclave with Azerbaijan and it lies approximately 50 kilometres from the Armenian border. The region has been out of control of Azerbaijan since the end of the war in 1994, however, both the sides have a heavy military presence along a demilitarized zone separating the region from the rest of the country. Additionally, local soldiers backed by Armenia also occupy some Azerbaijani territory outside the region. 

READ: Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Fighting Escalates, 14 Killed

The two countries have long been at odds over Nagorno-Karabakh and after Sunday’s attack, Armenia reportedly declared martial law and mobilised its male population. The two sides blamed each other. While Armenia said Azerbaijan had carried out an air and artillery attack on the disputed region, Azerbaijan said it had responded to Armenian shelling. 

Armenia’s defence ministry informed that its troops had destroyed three tanks, shot down two helicopters and three unmanned aerial vehicles, however, Azerbaijan’s defence ministry denied the claim. But Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a televised address to the nation that “there are losses among the Azerbaijani forces and the civilian population as a result of the Armenian bombardment”. 

READ: Armenia Border Clash: Azerbaijan General, Colonel Among 13 Killed

Turkey condemns ‘Armenia’s attack’ 

The news of the attack was harshly received in Turkey, which is a close ally of Azerbaijan. Taking to Twitter, Turkey’s ruling party spokesman Omer Celik ‘vehemently’ condemned Armenia’s attack and said that country has once again committed a provocation, ignoring the law. He further promised that Turkey would stand by Azerbaijan and added: “Armenia is playing with fire and endangering regional peace”. 

Turkey’s presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also condemned Armenia and said that they ‘violated the ceasefire’ by attacking civilian settlements. Kalin added, “the international community must immediately say stop to this dangerous provocation”. On the other hand, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan wrote on Twitter, “We stay strong next to our army to protect our motherland from Azeri invasion”. 

(Image-Inputs: AP) 

READ: Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Fighting Escalates, 13 Killed

READ: 3 Azerbaijani Troops Die In Border Clashes With Armenia