It could be a new open conflict.

Heavy fighting erupted on Sunday (September 27th) in Nagorno-Karabakh, a decades-long disputed border region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the two sides said, accusing each other of initiating hostilities, which resulted in civilian and military casualties.

While the separatist territory backed by Yerevan decreed "general mobilization", the Azerbaijani president promised to "win".

"Deaths and injuries have been reported among civilians and soldiers," said the Azerbaijani presidency, while the Karabakh public ombudsperson said there were "civilian casualties" among the population of the region.

A woman and a child have died in the area, for his part reported the press secretary of the Armenian Ministry of Defense.

Two Azerbaijani helicopters were shot down, the ministry, which supports the separatists, said earlier.

Armenia accuses Azeri forces of firing shells at the region, while Azerbaijan accuses Armenian forces of bombing Azeri military and civilian positions.

>> See also on France 24: THE INTERVIEW - For the head of Armenian diplomacy, a war with Azerbaijan "would be a disaster"

"Martial law and general mobilization"

Faced with the fighting, Nagorno-Karabakh has decreed "martial law and general mobilization for those over 18" for all its male population, the president of the region Araïk Aroutiounian announced on Sunday during an extraordinary session of the local parliament , according to the presidency.

In Baku, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev promised "victory" in a speech on television: "The Azerbaijani army is fighting today on its territory, defends its territorial integrity, deals devastating blows to the enemy. Our cause. is fair and we will win ".

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian called on his people to "be ready to defend the sacred homeland".

"Let us firmly support our state, our army (...) and we will win," he wrote on Facebook on Sunday.

"Early this morning, the Azerbaijani side launched bombings all along the line of contact. They are also bombing Stepanakert (the capital), we call on the population to take shelter," the door said. - speech of the separatist presidency on his Facebook page.

"The Karabakh armed forces have so far thwarted (Azerbaijan's) plans, inflicting heavy losses" on the opponent, the region's defense ministry said.

Intervention by Russia and Turkey?

A major conflict involving Yerevan and Baku could result in the intervention of competing powers in the Caucasus region, Russia and Turkey.

Moscow called on Sunday morning "for an immediate cease-fire" and talks between the belligerents, while the two camps reject the responsibility for the hostilities.

On the side of Ankara, a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, denounced on twitter "Armenia's attack on Azerbaijan", accusing Yerevan of having attacked "civilian localities".

Turkey is a traditional ally of Baku.

Area disputed since a declaration of independence in 1991

Nagorno-Karabakh is a secessionist region of Azerbaijan, populated mainly by Armenians and supported by Armenia, having proclaimed its independence with the collapse of the USSR in 1991. The two former Soviet republics have been in opposition for decades about her.

The area was the scene of a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives.

Since then, the Azerbaijani authorities have wanted to regain control, by force if necessary, while peace talks have been deadlocked for many years.

There are regular fights between separatists and Azerbaijanis, as well as Yerevan and Baku.

In 2016, serious armed clashes almost degenerated into war in Karabakh, and fighting also pitted Armenians and Azerbaijanis on their border in July 2020.

Both sides are used to blaming each other for these outbreaks of violence.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had already threatened Armenia on Friday 25th with reprisals for his "aggressive behavior", referring to the clashes in July.

Baku also accused Yerevan of "deliberately derailing" the Karabakh peace negotiations.

He also estimated that Armenia was preparing "tens of thousands of men with one goal, to attack Azerbaijan".

Azerbaijan rich in petrodollars against Armenia very close to Russia

Baku has taken advantage of its immense oil reserves to spend lavishly on armaments in recent years.

Azerbaijan can also count on the unwavering support of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who regularly accuses Armenia of being a threat to the stability of the Caucasus.

On the other hand, Armenia, much poorer, is closer to Russia, which has a military base there.

Yerevan also belongs to a politico-military alliance led by Moscow, the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

The Kremlin, which positions itself as arbiter in the region, delivers arms to the two countries.

And for nearly 30 years he has managed to avoid open war.

The international mediation on Karabakh, called the Minsk Group, includes, in addition to Moscow, France and the United States.

With AFP and Reuters

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