Dozens killed in overnight clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan 

• Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan thought to be worst since 2020 conflict.
• Both countries blame the other for the latest outbreak of violence.
• Moscow announced a quick ceasefire that would take effect early Tuesday morning.

Several dozens of soldiers have been killed in fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that 49 of his country’s soldiers were killed in overnight clashes.

Over the course of three decades, the two countries have fought two wars and had numerous smaller clashes.

Russia claimed to have mediated a ceasefire for the latest outbreak, but Armenia claimed only that the fighting had ceased, not that it had completely ended.

The Nagorno-Karabakh region is at the heart of the conflict. It is firmly part of Azerbaijan, according to internationally recognised borders, but is populated by ethnic Armenians.

The cultural divide extends beyond politics and into religion: Armenia is predominantly Christian, whereas Azerbaijan is predominantly Muslim.

The conflict has resulted in full-fledged war in the 1980s and 1990s, a six-week war in 2020, and ongoing clashes for decades.

Both countries hold the other responsible for the latest outbreak of violence.

Armenia claimed that its neighbour had shelled several towns along the border, and that it had responded in kind. Azerbaijan claimed that its military positions were attacked first.

The fighting raged on Monday night before Moscow announced a quick ceasefire that would take effect early Tuesday morning.

However, Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan stated that “the intensity of hostilities has decreased, but Azerbaijani attacks on one or two fronts continue.”

Azerbaijan is believed to have suffered casualties as well, but has not publicly stated the number of injured or killed.

Internationally, the fighting has been condemned, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declaring that “there can be no military solution to the conflict.”

Russia, which has historically had ties with Armenia, has stated that the ongoing dispute “should be resolved solely through political and diplomatic means.”

Both sides were urged to “exercise restraint.”

Turkey has ties with Azerbaijan and appears to have supported its version of events. “Armenia should cease its provocations and focus on peace negotiations,” said Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The fighting on Monday night is thought to be the worst since the 2020 conflict, which killed thousands. That war ended with a Russian-brokered agreement in which Armenia withdrew its troops from occupied areas around Nagorno-Karabakh.

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