One dead, two wounded in Azerbaijan shelling of Armenia
3 Min Read
Yerevan says one of its soldiers were killed while two others were injured in shelling from Azerbaijan.
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An Armenian soldier stands guard next to Nagorno-Karabakh's flag atop the hill near Charektar in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Nov. 25, 2020 (AP)
A border clash between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces on Monday resulted in the tragic death of one Armenian serviceman breaching the ceasefire agreement that marked the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
According to an official statement released by Armenia's defense ministry on Telegram, Azerbaijani Armed Forces on Monday opened fire on a vehicle belonging to the Armenian Armed Forces that was transporting provisions for personnel.
Initially, the ministry reported an unspecified number of casualties but later confirmed that one Armenian serviceman had been killed, while two others sustained injuries.
The border region has been a source of tension and sporadic clashes since the ceasefire agreement was brokered in November 2020, ending the six-week conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have accused each other of violating the ceasefire on multiple occasions, and these incidents have raised concerns among international observers about the fragile nature of the truce.
Armenia reported earlier in the day that Azerbaijani forces initiated gunfire in a border area shortly after Baku's swift control of Nagorno-Karabakh.
This is happening shortly after the International Court of Justice announced that Armenia filed a lawsuit against Azerbaijan for racial discrimination against ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
It is worth noting that more than 100,000 Nagorno-Karabakh residents have moved to Armenia since September 24, according to information provided by Nazeli Baghdasaryan, the spokesperson for the Armenian cabinet.
This significant exodus of Nagorno-Karabakh's predominantly Armenian population began after Azerbaijan declared the successful conclusion of its so-called "anti-terrorist" operation initiated against the breakaway region on September 19.
Following this declaration, Nagorno-Karabakh's authorities, with the mediation of Russian peacekeepers, agreed to disarm and relinquish all their weaponry to Baku the following day.
Armenia explicitly stated that it was not involved in these negotiations. Azerbaijan's government, on the other hand, committed to taking measures to support the "integration" of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians who choose to stay in the region.
Read next: Nagorno-Karabakh to no longer exist as institutions set to dissolve
Meanwhile, Armenia's ambassador to the United Kingdom said it was "too late" to prevent the exodus in the Nagorno-Karabakh exodus of ethnic Armenians, but warned that Azerbaijan could launch an invasion of Armenia if the West does nothing to respond to the events resulting in the forced displacement of Armenians in what is now Azeri-controlled territories.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the ambassador noted that "Now that they see the international community’s reaction is a soft one… it’s not excluded that they may be tempted to carry out another attack on the Republic of Armenia."
Nersesyan explained that Azerbaijani has been making claims to the designated Zangezur corridor. If Baku were to set out to secure it, the corridor would cross sovereign Armenian territory to connect Azerbaijan with an exclave known as Nakhchivan. This matter, the ambassador stressed, has raised significant concerns in Yerevan.
