Nagorno-Karabakh: fighting intensifies, Azerbaijan calls for Armenian withdrawal
Armenian artillery attacks Azerbaijani positions in Nagorno-Karabakh, October 4, 2020. Armenian Defense Ministry via AP
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3 min
On the eighth day of the resumption of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, the fighting intensified further in this separatist enclave of Azerbaijan.
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Ilham Aliev has "
only one condition
" for a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Armenian armed forces "
must leave our territories
", launched the President of Azerbaijan in a televised address, demanding that the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinian "
apologize to the Azerbaijani people
".
“
Let him say 'I am going to withdraw my troops from the occupied territories' (...).
Let him say that Karabakh is not Armenia.
"
Ilham Aliev demanded that Nikol Pachinian define a "
precise plan
" for Armenian withdrawal from the region.
"
In this case, we will restore the cease-fire regime
," promised the Azerbaijani president, insisting that his country was restoring "
historic justice
".
Nagorno-Karabakh, mainly populated by Armenians, seceded from Azerbaijan after the fall of the USSR, leading to a war in the early 1990s which left 30,000 dead.
The front has been almost frozen there since despite regular clashes.
Since the resumption of the conflict a week ago, the fighting has continued to intensify, raising fears of an open war between the two countries.
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To read also: Nagorno-Karabakh, the unrecognized powder keg of the Caucasus
New strikes on Stepanakert
This escalation continued on Sunday.
Worse, the perimeter of hostilities has grown dangerously.
At 7 a.m., Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, found itself under fire from Azerbaijani artillery.
The shots hit both military targets and civilian homes, forcing the population to take shelter in basements.
In recent days, the city has suffered from numerous bombings of this type.
Since the night of Saturday to Sunday, Stepanakert has been deprived of electricity.
According to the local Foreign Ministry, Azerbaijani forces "
targeted the power grid building
" last night.
In the city center, however, the destruction remained limited, before the strikes resumed Sunday morning.
The village of Chouchi, a few kilometers away, was also targeted, reports our special envoy to Goris,
Régis Genté
.
A projectile fell on a cultural center where several dozen people were sheltered, including children.
At least four people were killed.
Azerbaijan explained that it responded to the Armenian attack on the country's second city, Gandja, or at least on its airport.
Baku says that many civilian casualties are to be deplored in this attack, but also in other cities of the country closer to the front line.
As in any confrontation, there is armed warfare and information warfare.
On both sides of the front, each camp shouts victory and systematically denies the accusations of abuses weighing on it, while blaming the opposing party for the conflict.
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