In a tragic development, Armenia confirms the death of four soldiers and injury of a fifth amid the first outbreak of violence along the border with Azerbaijan, disrupting the ongoing peace discussions between the two countries.
In retaliation for a preceding incident, Azerbaijan announces the destruction of an Armenian combat post in the southern region, heightening tensions between the two nations.
Having reclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh from ethnic Armenians last year, Azerbaijan now faces accusations from Armenia of attempting to heighten tensions in the region.
Days after Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev secured a fifth term, an attack in Armenia’s south-eastern Syunik province raises concerns among local observers that further military actions might be on the agenda to claim Armenian territory.
Azerbaijan’s defense ministry in Baku announces that the attack on the Armenian position near Nerkin Hand was prompted by the injury of an Azerbaijani soldier a few kilometers away on Monday. It additionally draws attention to a distinct border incident hundreds of kilometers to the north, contested by Armenia.
Recent statements from Azerbaijan’s top officials indicate a reported calmness in relations between the two neighbors over the past six months.
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Describing the recent actions of Armenia’s military and political leaders as a “provocation,” Baku’s foreign ministry deems it a substantial setback to the ongoing peace process amid a period of relative stability. The ministry raises serious concerns about the European Union’s mission in Armenia, as the initial shooting unfolded in areas under its oversight.
Following Azerbaijan’s military conquest of Karabakh last September, over 100,000 ethnic Armenians were displaced. The South Caucasus region, located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, had international recognition as part of Azerbaijan but had been under Armenian control for over 30 years.
The recent escalation has reignited speculations that Azerbaijan, bolstered by Russia, might be pushing Armenia to open the Zangezur corridor—a rail and road route—through Armenian territory to connect to its exclave of Nakhchivan and potentially extend to Turkey, all before a formal peace agreement is reached.
The prospect of linking Turkey to Azerbaijan through Armenia raises concerns in Iran, the neighboring country.