Since Sunday, the stability of the South Caucasus has been challenged by a renewed confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Late on Sunday, Armenia announced the capture of 11 Azerbaijani armored units.
Shushan Stepanyan, the spokesperson of the Armenian Defense Ministry, made the announcement on social media, saying that an infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-3) was among the captured armored vehicles.
The announcement came amid ongoing hostilities between the enemy states of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have technically remained at war since the 1990s, kept at bay by a ceasefire signed in 1994.
The longstanding war started after the ethnic Armenian majority in Nagorno-Karabakh, which was and still is recognized by international law as part of Azerbaijan, demanded that the territory be transferred to Armenia, with the support of the latter.
Since the ceasefire agreement was signed, sporadic fighting has broken out on several occasions.
The territorial conflict that re-erupted on Sunday represents the most intense clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan in years and has claimed casualties, reportedly including civilians, on both sides.
Azerbaijan said that it had captured 6 villages in the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, on Sunday.
While the Armenian Defense Ministry denied the claim, the leader of the de facto independent state, Arayik Harutyunyan, later confirmed, “We have lost some positions.”
Both sides have accused each other of attacking first, while international powers, including Russia, which brokered the ceasefire of 1994, are calling for an immediate end to the hostilities.
Nonetheless, the fighting continues on Monday with both Armenia and Azerbaijan enforcing martial law.
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