The Republic of Azerbaijan declared a state of war throughout the country after clashes broke out in the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region with Armenia, the official Azerbaijani news agency reported on Sunday.
The agency stated that the Azerbaijani parliament in the capital Baku approved this procedure in a special session on Sunday, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev confirmed the issuance of this decision.
Martial law will take effect across the country at midnight (2000 GMT). Starting Monday night, a curfew will also be imposed in various regions, according to the AZERTAC news agency.
Armenia and Azerbaijan appeared to be on the verge of waging war after violent clashes broke out between the Azerbaijani army and Armenian separatists in the Nagorno Karabakh region, causing the fall of soldiers and civilians from both sides, including at least one woman. and a child, while 4 helicopters and 15 drones were destroyed.
The worst fighting since 2016 has raised the possibility of a full-scale war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which for decades have been locked in conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.
In a televised speech, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, promised victory over the Armenian forces. He said, “Our cause is just and we will win.”
In return, Armenia and the Nagorno Karabakh region declared martial law and general mobilization. “Be prepared to defend our holy land,” said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, accusing Armenia of declaring war on the Armenian people.
“Martial law has been declared and all persons who can serve in the army and who are over 18 years old have been mobilized,” Karabakh President Araik Harutyunyan said during an emergency session of parliament in Stepanakert.
According to Armenia, Azerbaijani forces attacked civilian areas in Karabakh, including the regional capital, Stepanakert, in an operation that resulted in the deaths of a woman and a child.
In turn, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced that it had launched a “counter-operation to stop Armenian combat activities and guarantee the security of the population” using tanks, artillery missiles, military aviation and drones.
“There are reports of deaths and injuries among civilians and soldiers,” Azerbaijani presidential spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev said in a statement.
In turn, Karabakh Ombudsman Artak Baglarian referred to the “civilian victims” of the residents of the region.
And the Defense Ministry of the Nagorno Karabakh region announced that it destroyed four helicopters, 15 drones and 10 tanks for Azerbaijan during the fighting and, in return, Azerbaijan announced that its forces entered six villages under the control of the Armenians during the violent clashes that broke out in the line of contact between the two parties.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said: “We call on the two sides for an immediate ceasefire and to start talks to restore stability to the situation.” Turkey held Armenia responsible for the outbreak of violence and pledged to support Azerbaijan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “The Turkish nation is, as it has always been, on the side of the Azerbaijani brothers and sisters.” Erdogan accused Armenia of being a danger to the region and called on the world to support Azerbaijan.
For his part, the Karabakh chief accused Ankara of sending mercenaries to Azerbaijan. He said: “We have information that mercenaries from Turkey and other countries have been sent by air to Azerbaijan. The Turkish army is prepared in Azerbaijan under the pretext of military exercises.
Armenian separatists seized Karabakh from Baku in a war in the 1990s that killed 30,000 people. Talks have been frozen to resolve the Karabakh conflict, which is among the worst of the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union since the 1994 ceasefire agreement.