After the outbreak of clashes in the disputed region with Armenia

Azerbaijan declares a state of war, martial law and imposes a curfew

An Azerbaijani soldier leads an armored vehicle in Baku and salutes the people gathered on the side of the road.

(Reuters)

The Republic of Azerbaijan has declared a state of war across the country, after clashes broke out in the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region with Armenia, the official Azerbaijani Azerbaijani news agency AZERTAC reported on Sunday.

The agency stated that the Azerbaijani parliament in the capital Baku approved this procedure in a special session on Sunday, and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev confirmed the issuance of this decision.

Martial law is set to take effect across the country at midnight (2000 GMT).

Starting from Monday evening, a curfew will also be imposed from 21:00 until 6:00 "in Baku and other cities and areas near the front line in Karabakh.

Armenia and Azerbaijan appeared on the verge of engaging in a war after violent confrontations broke out between the Azerbaijani army and Armenian separatists in the Nagorno Karabakh region, which led to the fall of soldiers and civilians on both sides, including at least a woman and a child, while 4 helicopters and 15 drones were destroyed.

The worst clashes since 2016 have raised the prospect of a full-scale war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which for decades have been locked in a struggle for control of Nagorny Karabakh.

In a televised speech, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pledged victory over the Armenian forces.

He said, "Our cause is just and we will prevail."

In return, Armenia and the Nagorno Karabakh region declared martial law and general mobilization.

"Prepare to defend our holy land," said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, accusing Armenia of declaring war on the Armenian people.

"Martial law has been declared and all persons who are able to serve in the military and who are over the age of 18 have been mobilized," Karabakh President Araik Harutyunyan said during an emergency session of parliament in Stepanakert.

According to Armenia, Azerbaijani forces attacked civilian areas in Karabakh, including the regional capital, Stepanakert, in an operation that resulted in the killing of a woman and a child.

In turn, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced that it had launched a "counter-operation to curb Armenian combat activities and ensure the safety of the population", using tanks, artillery missiles, military aviation and drones.

"There are reports of deaths and injuries among civilians and soldiers," the Azerbaijani presidential spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev said in a statement.

In turn, the Ombudsman of Karabakh Artak Baglarian referred to the "civilian casualties" of the region's residents.

The Ministry of Defense in the Nagorno Karabakh region announced that it destroyed four helicopters, 15 drones and 10 tanks for Azerbaijan during the clashes, and in return Azerbaijan announced that its forces entered six villages under the control of the Armenians during the violent confrontations that broke out at the contact line between the two parties.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said: "We call on the two parties for an immediate ceasefire and to start talks to restore stability to the situation."

While Turkey held Armenia responsible for the outbreak of violence and pledged to support Azerbaijan.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "The Turkish nation stands, as it has always been, on the side of the Azerbaijani brothers and sisters."

Erdogan accused Armenia of being a danger to the region, and called on the world to stand by Azerbaijan.

For his part, the Karabakh chief accused Ankara of sending mercenaries to Azerbaijan.

He said, “We have information that mercenaries from Turkey and other countries have been sent by air to Azerbaijan.

The Turkish army is in a state of readiness in Azerbaijan under the pretext of military exercises.

Armenian separatists wrested Karabakh from Baku in a war in the 1990s that killed 30,000 people.

Talks have been frozen to resolve the Karabakh conflict, which is among the worst of the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, since a 1994 ceasefire agreement.

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