Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan says it controls the strategic city of Shusha, Armenia denies

The strategic city of Choucha has been the scene of heavy fighting for several days.

Here, October 29, 2020. Vahram Baghdasaryan / Photolure via REUTERS

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev announced on Sunday (November 8) that his army had taken control of the town of Shusha, in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia immediately denied, saying heavy fighting was still raging in this strategic city in the breakaway region. 

Publicity

Read more

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev announced the resumption of Shusha, 

in a river speech this Sunday morning.

This victory would confirm the military superiority of the Azerbaijani army, which is

, reports our correspondent in Baku,

To take Shusha, which is a real natural fortress,

certainly had to make a big sacrifice in terms of

of life

.

But this city has enormous symbolic importance for Baku.

It was a city mainly populated by Azerbaijanis until the 1990s, and some consider it to be a kind of "Jerusalem" of Karabakh.

Party in the streets of Baku, Yerevan denies

This announced victory is celebrated this Sunday in the streets of Baku: the crowd has invaded the streets, the cars honk constantly, people wave tricolors through the windows and we also see many Turkish and Pakistani flags.

Although dozens of other cities have already been conquered by Baku, it is an explosion of special and extremely strong popular emotion: it is clear that Shusha holds a special place in the hearts of Azebaijanis.

For its part, Armenia has denied the assertions of President Aliev.

An official of the Ministry of Defense, Artsroun Hovhannissian, assured that " 

 " for the city.

It is located just fifteen kilometers from the region's capital, Stepanakert, and on the main road connecting the self-proclaimed Republic to Armenia.

Nagorno-Karabakh civilians still evacuated to Armenia

Across the border,

Sunday, November 8, although less dense than the night before, when an

stormed the streets of Vardenis. between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., reports our special correspondent in this Armenian city,

.

From this town close to the border, we see soldiers leaving Nagorno-Karabakh, sometimes troop transport trucks… but never tanks and other armored vehicles.

In Vardenis, nothing for the moment indicates a military debacle.

►

Armenian volunteers still numerous

This is because

leaving to join Nagorno-Karabakh by the northern route, the only one which now links Armenia to the independence Republic.

These numerous combatants come in part from the ranks of the regular army, replacing those leaving the conflict zone, but they are also often volunteers.

Many inhabitants of Karabakh even visibly leave on their own to defend their town or village.

These volunteers admit quietly that the situation is extremely difficult for them in the town of Choucha.

But no one wants to admit defeat in this conflict experienced as existential by the Armenians.

►

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Nagorno-Karabakh

• Azerbaijan

• Ilham Aliyev

• Armenia

• Defense

On the same subject

Nagorno-Karabakh: the population of the capital Stepanakert evacuated

Orient weekly

Nagorno-Karabakh: the underside of a conflict

Nagorno-Karabakh: UN cites war crimes and use of cluster munitions