The situation remains tense all along the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagrono Karabakh and Azerbaijan, the NKR Defense Army reports.
The Ministry says the Azerbaijani Armed Forces sustained more than 200 losses as a result of heavy fighting last night and today. At least 30 soldiers of special forces were killed in the direction of Talish; two tanks, two drones were destroyed in the direction of Martakert, an Azeri military helicopter was downed in the northern direction of the line of contact.
The rival used heavy weapons, including MM-21 volley fire rocket installations and armored vehicles, as it targeted not only the military positions of the NKR Defense Army, but also civilians settlements.
Another military helicopter and two tanks were hit at about 12:30 today.
The Defense Ministry reports losses on the Karabakh side. Further information will be provided.
The NKR Defense Army has published photos presenting the losses of the Azerbaijani side in the buffer zone one of the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan.
Armenian judoka Shahen Abaghyan (55 kg) beat Natiz Gurbanli of Azerbaijan in the final round to win the European Junior European Judo Cup, Press Service of the Armenian National Olympic Committee reports.
The Armenian beat Turkish Celik Emre and Georgians Giorgi Niazashvili and Zurab Kakhniashvili in earlier rounds.
Shahen Abaghyan serves in the Sports Club of the RA Armed Forces and is one of the ten best soldier-sportsmen.
President Serzh Sargsyan convened the sitting of the National Security Council today. Issues related to the gross violation of the 1994 ceasefire agreement by Azerbaijan and the large-scale military actions against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic were on the agenda of the sitting.
During the sitting, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan reported on the provocative actions of the Azerbaijani side and the steps taken by Armenian forces to rebuff the aggression.
“Dear colleagues, as you know, the Azerbaijan armed forces undertook provocative actions all along the line of contact with the Karabakh forces. These were the most large-scale military actions ever since 1994 undertaken by the Azerbaijani side.
The NKR Defense Army regained control of the situation thanks to timely and skilled actions. The rival used air force, all types of armored vehicles and artillery. The losses of the Azeri air force, infantry and armored vehicles are sustainable. We also have losses: as of now, 18 are reported killed, 30 wounded,” the President said.
“The provocations continue, there is some tension in the north and south, but the Karabakh forces keep the situation under control,” the President said. He added that measures have been taken to ensure the security of the population in frontline villages.
“I think the Foreign Ministry needs to cooperate with the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and work towards signing an agreement on mutual assistance. It’s necessary to develop the text of the agreement and hold discussions in the National Assembly. The Republic of Armenia will fully meet its obligations of ensuring the security of the population of Nagorno Karabakh. We have all legal basis for it as a party to the ceasefire agreement signed in 1994.
“Besides the Armed Forces, other agencies are also doing their work, we keep in touch with our partners from international organizations. However, as I have said on many occasions, we have to solve our problems ourselves and not rely upon anyone,” the President said.
Statement by Council of Europe of Secretary General Jagland:
“I am dismayed and deeply concerned by the escalation of hostilities at the contact line in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The Council of Europe urges both sides to stop this totally unnecessary bloodshed which leads nowhere except to further violence and loss of lives including of many civilians. I urge the parties to protect the right to life as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights and return to the ceasefire and resume peaceful negotiations. This is a humanitarian imperative”
Georgia hopes the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact will not grow into large-scale war. The Georgian authorities are closely following the development of events and hope the situation will not lead to unpredictable consequences, MP from the ruling “Georgian dream” coalition Levan Berdzenishvili told .
The military actions at the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact will inevitably have their influence on the countries of the region, including Georgia, Berdzenishvili said. “Georgia has always avoided interfering with the Karabakh conflict, because relations with neighboring countries and peace in the region are important to us,” he added.
“Georgia must be ready to get involved in all types of negotiations if necessary, and if there is an offer from Armenia or Azerbaijan,” the lawmaker said.
He hopes, however, that “there will be no more large-scale war in the Caucasus.”
David Darchiashvili of the opposition United National Movement Party said “the unsolved Karabakh conflict is a threat to the Caucasus security and requires the attention of the world powers.”
“Georgia is part of this region and any developments here cannot bypass Georgia,” Darchiashvili said.
After Azerbaijan launched a massive attack on all fronts of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic late Friday and early Saturday, hundreds are volunteering to fight on the frontlines.
NKR Prime Minister Araik Harutyunyan met with volunteers today. The PM briefed them on the situation at the frontline and assured that “the NKR Defense Army keeps full control of the military situation and has inflicted heavy losses on the Azerbaijani army.”
“I’m glad to see so many people volunteering to fight. All of us will go to protect the borders of the Motherland if necessary. At this point I urge you to refrain from panic, keeping high the fighting spirit of the society,” the Prime Minister said.
A diverse group of Armenians, Kurds, Greeks, Cypriots, Yezidis, human rights groups and even various opposition Turkish political factions protested Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s repression at home and aggression abroad in a heated demonstration which forced the closure of one of Washington, DC’s busiest streets for over an hour, reported the Armenian National Committee of Greater Washington.
Holding banners calling out Turkey’s ongoing Armenian genocide denial, crackdown on the country’s Kurdish community, and support for ISIS forces in Syria – protesters spotlighted Turkey’s democratic decline under President Erdogan’s rule, a view gaining increased support in Washington’s political circles in the days leading up to his U.S. visit. Among the protesters’ chants was: “Long live Kurdistan; long live Armenia.”
Pro-Turkish government counter-protesters wearing “We love Erdogan” T-shirts and holding “We Heart Erdogan” signs chanted their praise for the dictator. Erdogan security personnel were seen attacking protesters and needed to be subdued by Washington DC police. At least one Turkish reporter was pushed and another forced to the ground and beaten by Erdogan’s security team. Another reporter was forced out of Brookings Institution venue, prior to Erdogan’s arrival. Turkish journalists tweeted the surreal circumstances of the protest throughout.
The National Press Club (NPC) was quick to condemn the press crackdown, with NPC President Thomas Burr stating that the Turkish leader’s team “have no right to lay their hands on reporters or protesters or anyone else for that matter, when the people they were apparently roughing up seemed to be merely doing their jobs or exercising the rights they have in this country.”
The ANCA Eastern Region’s Armen Sahakyan commented that “We were pleased that so many Washington area Armenians joined today with our Kurdish and Greek friends and our allies in the human rights community in a strong show of solidarity against Recep Erdogan’s repression at home and aggression abroad. While it was encouraging to see such powerful American civil society opposition to Turkey’s increasingly violent rule, it was, at the same, deeply troubling to witness Erdogan’s security detail attacking journalists, effectively exporting Turkey’s intolerance to the U.S. capital.”
President Erdogan is one of 50 world leaders in Washington, DC this week, attending the nuclear energy summit. President Obama refused a one-on-one meeting with Erdogan, a fact which apparently prompted a three-hour rant by the Turkish leader at a Foreign Policy Association dinner on the eve of today’s speech at the Brookings Institution. Vice-President Biden was scheduled to meet with the Turkish leader today.
An all-star tribute concert to David Bowie, announced shortly before he died, has been held in New York, the BBC reports.
The concert in Carnegie Hall was announced on 10 January as a retrospective of Bowie’s life.
But hours later, the singer’s family announced his death from cancer. The concert then quickly sold out.
Among the acts performing were the Flaming Lips, Pixies, Debbie Harry, Cyndi Lauper and former REM singer Michael Stipe.
Such was the demand, a second concert was added for Friday night at Radio City Music Hall that will be broadcast online.
The annual tribute concerts, that have previously focused on acts including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Joni Mitchell, were set up to raise money for charity.
Organisers were overwhelmed by requests by performers keen to take part after Bowie’s death.
“We felt kind of awkward because we are usually so humbly grateful to anyone who wants to participate in this,” producer Michael Dorf said.
One scheduled act, hip-hop band The Roots, pulled out of the shows on Thursday, after accusing another unnamed group of refusing to allow them to use their equipment.