#Armenia calls clashes with #Azerbaijan over disputed Nagorno region ‘a declaration of war’

Armenia and Azerbaijan have accused each other of reigniting their decades-long conflict in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh after fresh violence erupted in the breakaway region. The two sides resumed open conflict again on Monday morning with the use of heavy artillery. Outbreaks of violence had continued through the night, according to the Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan. Armenian forces reportedly attacked the town of Terter with heavy artillery, according to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense. The worst violence in the region since 2016 has raised the prospect of a new war in an area that has been simmering for decades. At least 31 people — both civilians and military — have died in fighting that erupted on Sunday between Azerbaijani forces and Armenian rebels in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, officials said. Separatists reported 15 further military casualties on Monday morning. Both Baku and Yerevan also reported civilian casualties, as did the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced in a televised address that Azerbaijan's "authoritarian regime has once again declared war on the Armenian people." Both countries declared martial law. The president of Azerbaijan declared a partial military mobilization in the country as part of a presidential decree on Monday morning. Armenia began a general mobilization on Sunday. Pashinyan also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Putin expressing "serious concern" over the escalation. Russia maintains a military base in Armenia, and is seen as an ally to Yerevan. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are former Soviet republics.

• 2020-09-29T16:38:04+00:00
• Duration: 05:43

• News
• news2020
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• war
• Nagorno

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