Azerbaijan hit civilian areas of Karabakh with missiles ahead of ceasefire: Official

Azerbaijan reportedly attacked civilian areas of Karabakh capital on October 10 ahead of a ceasefire agreed to end the armed conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region’s Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan tweeted that Azerbaijan fired missiles on civilian areas of its main city Stepanakert, adding that there was no data on possible casualties.

“Baku uses the same style of #WarCrimes by the very last moment,” Beglaryan said on Twitter.

The two former Soviet states are in an armed stand-off for years over the Nagorno-Karabakh, a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, and heavy clashes re-erupted on September 27, prompting fears of an all-out war. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as a part of Azerbaijan but it remains disputed because the region is controlled by ethnic Armenians.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to a ceasefire starting on October 10 midnight and “substantive” talks over the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. However, the situation appears to have gone further down south as Beglaryan, citing reports from the conflict zone, said that Azerbaijan has now struck Kapan town of Armenia with a missile. He said that there are reports of fatalities and injuries as well. 

Read: Armenia, Azerbaijan Agree To 'humanitarian Ceasefire' Under Russia Brokered Deal

Read: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs Agree To Attend First Talks In Russia

Blame game

The escalated fight over Nagorno-Karabakh has also triggered blame game as Azerbaijan’s defence ministry accused Armenian forces of shelling civilian areas of the country. The ministry said in a statement that Armenian armed forces are intensively shelling populated areas in Geranboy, Terter, Agdam, Agjaberdi, and Fizuli districts. 

“Azerbaijan is taking reciprocal measures,” the statement read.

Hundreds of people have been killed in the past week, including over 40 civilians. The Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict has raised international concern about stability in the South Caucasus. A full-fledged war could severely impact the international markets because Nagorno-Karabakh serves as a corridor for oil and gas pipelines from the Caspian Sea to world markets.

Read: UNAOC Chief Condemns Attacks On Religious Sites Amid Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Read: Armenian Cathedral Damaged Due To Shelling In Karabakh, Azerbaijan Denies Attack