Armenia-Azerbaijan ceasefire collapses right after entering into force

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Sep 2022 11:59
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The Russian Defense Minister and his Armenian counterpart are looking into ways to stabilize the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan ceasefire did not last long.

The Armenian Defense Minister, Suren Papikyan, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, agreed on Tuesday to take steps to stabilize the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

"The Armenian defense minister presented to his Russian counterpart the situation created as a result of Azerbaijan's large-scale aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. Papikyan and Shoigu agreed to take the necessary steps to stabilize the situation," the Ministry said in a statement.

Armenian MoD: Positional battles at border with Azerbaijan continue

A spokesperson for the Armenian Defense Ministry, Aram Torosyan, said positional fighting continues along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

"As of 08:00 on September 13 [04:00 GMT], the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border has not changed significantly. The enemy continues to use artillery, mortars, drones, and large-caliber rifles in the directions of Vardenis, Sotk, Artanish, Ishkhanasar, Goris, and Kapan, targeting both military and civilian infrastructures," the spokesperson said.

Torosyan added that "the enemy does not stop the attempts to advance."

A total of 49 Armenian soldiers were killed as a result of shelling on the border with Azerbaijan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday.

"Our losses amounted to 49," Pashinyan told lawmakers, noting that the figure is not final.

Moreover, three civilians were injured as a result of the Azerbaijani shelling, the Armenian Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

"As a result of artillery shelling of Armenian positions and settlements by the Azerbaijani armed forces, three civilians were injured," the Ministry said in a statement.

The condition of one of those injured is serious, the statement added.

This comes right after a ceasefire was reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Haqqn news portal, which cited sources, revealed that Yerevan and Baku have agreed to a truce beginning at 05:00 GMT.

Shortly after, the ceasefire collapsed after the fighting renewed.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the Azerbaijani military shelled Armenian territory with artillery and drones, according to Yerevan.

CSTO permanent council meet on Armenian-Azerbaijani escalation: Yerevan

According to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the Permanent Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is now holding a discussion on the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border at the request of Yerevan.

"At night, we held meetings of the Security Council and decided to apply to the CSTO. On the basis of this appeal, a meeting of the CSTO Permanent Council is now taking place," Pashinyan said.

Armenia has also approached Russia and the UN Security Council, according to Pashinyan.