Armenia is fearing fresh bloodshed on its border with Azerbaijan after armed clashes restarted between the two regional rivals, Newsweek magazine said.
Azeri forces are attacking Armenian soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh and this was a “clear violation” of a ceasefire signed between Baku and Yerevan in November 2020, following six weeks of clashes over the disputed region, said Hayk Mamijanyan, a deputy of the Armenian parliament.
Azerbaijan is using the situation in Ukraine as “leverage” to renew its offensive and “to take advantage” of Russia’s war there, Mamijanyan told Newsweek on Saturday.
Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, began a successful military offensive against Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2020. The conflict ended in November with a Russia-brokered ceasefire. Azerbaijan regained control of much of the disputed territory controlled by ethnic Armenians since the 1990s.
“The world, most of the international organisations were silent during the 44-day war, and I do hope that, despite the inefficiency of the Armenian government, international organisations, and the world will pay attention to the crimes Azerbaijan is conducting at the moment,” Mamijanyan said.
“This coincidence with the Ukrainian crisis cannot be accidental,” Kristine Vardanyan, another deputy of the Armenian parliament told Newsweek.
Azerbaijan has denied that clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh have restarted.
“The information spread by Armenian sources, regarding the situation that has allegedly been escalating along the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, does not reflect the reality,” the Azeri Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
No clashes or incidents have occurred, and the situation is “artificially exaggerated by Armenian sources” it said. “There is no reason to worry or panic.”
In a separate statement issued on Saturday, the ministry said that “members of illegal Armenian armed detachments attempted to sabotage the Azerbaijan army units, and as a result of immediate measures, members of illegal Armenian armed detachments were forced to retreat.”
Azerbaijan is committed to the ceasefire agreement and has not violated any of its provisions, the ministry said. “It is Armenia, not Azerbaijan, that violates the provisions,” it said.
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