Armenian cathedral damaged due to shelling in Karabakh, Azerbaijan denies attack

Armenia on October 8 held Azerbaijan responsible for the shelling of a historic cathedral, known as the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. According to the reports by AP, some children were inside the cathedral at the time of shelling and suffered from stress after the attack. A new conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan  began on September 27 and is being considered to be the heaviest in decades. Hundreds of people have been killed in the past week, including over 40 civilians.

Read: Armenian PM Appeals To World Leaders To Recognise Nagorno-Karabakh's Independence

(Image Credits: AP)

(Image Credits: AP)

(Image Credits: AP)

(Image Credits: AP)

The conflict continues

As per Armenian officials, 2 Russian journalists were wounded during the shelling and one of them was under serious condition and rushed to the hospital. The Armenian Foreign Ministry criticized the shelling as a “monstrous crime and a challenge to the civilized humankind”. Father Andreas, who is a priest at the Cathedral said, “I feel the pain that the walls of our beautiful cathedral are destroyed,” he said. “I feel the pain that today the world does not react to what’s happening here and that our boys are dying defending our Motherland”. 

Read: France: Pro-Armenian Demonstrators Protest Against Turkey For Supporting Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry has denied posing any attack on the religious place as they said that its army “doesn’t target historical, cultural and, especially, religious buildings and monuments”. The fight between the two countries has raised international concern about stability in the South Caucasus, where pipelines carry Azeri oil and gas to world markets. There have also been fears of the clashes expanding into a multi-front war. While Ankara is Azerbaijan’s strongest supporter, Moscow, on the other hand, has a military base in Armenia. 

Read: Armenia Calls On Media Outlets To Stop Broadcasting Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Live

Recently, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has urged the international community to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian Prime Minister stated that the international community must act swiftly in order to avoid escalation of conflict in the region and in that regard they should recognise Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence. The tensions between the two countries have reached the point that Azerbaijan has declared a state of emergency near the border area while Armenia has declared a nationwide emergency and mobilized its male population.

Read: Turkey FM Comments On Nagorno-Karabakh, Crimea

Also Read: Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis: Canada Probing Alleged Use Of Canadian Technology By Azeri Forces

(Image Credits: AP)