Azerbaijan's authoritarian regime has 'declared war' on Armenia, says PM Nikol Pashinyan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that country’s arch-foe Azerbaijan has declared war on his people, hours after heavy fighting erupted along the frontlines of Nagorno-Karabakh. In a televised address to the Armenian citizens, Pashinyan said that the “authoritarian” regime of Azerbaijan had “once again” declared a war on them. Furthermore, he warned that the country was “on the brink of a war” in South Caucasus and it could have an “unpredictable consequence” for both sides.

2 copters shot

Earlier today, Armenia imposed martial law and ordered its military to mobilise. Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Susan Stepanyan informed that two Azerbaijani helicopters were shot down and three tanks were destroyed amid the fight between the two countries. While blaming each other for September 27 attack, Armenia said that Azerbaijan had carried out an air and artillery attack on the disputed region, Azerbaijan, on the other hand, said that it had launched a counteroffensive. 

Read: Armenia Says It Shot Down 2 Azerbaijani Copters In Dispute

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Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Arminian enclave with Azerbaijan and it lies approximately 50 kilometres from the Armenian border. The region has been out of control of Azerbaijan since the end of the war in 1994, however, both the sides have a heavy military presence along a demilitarized zone separating the region from the rest of the country. Additionally, local soldiers backed by Armenia also occupy some Azerbaijani territory outside the region. 

The two countries have long been at odds over Nagorno-Karabakh and after Sunday’s attack, Armenia declared martial law and mobilised its male population. Armenia’s defence ministry informed that its troops had destroyed three tanks, shot down two helicopters and three unmanned aerial vehicles, however, Azerbaijan’s defence ministry denied the claim. But Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a televised address to the nation that “there are losses among the Azerbaijani forces and the civilian population as a result of the Armenian bombardment”. 

Read: Armenia Shot Down 2 Azerbaijan Copters & Destroyed 3 Tanks In Clash Over Disputed Region

Read: Armenia Imposes Martial Law & Orders Mobilisation Of Military After Clash With Azerbaijan