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Ceasefire Collapses as Azerbaijan Continues Shelling Civilian Settlements

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The humanitarian ceasefire brokered by Russia has collapsed within twenty-four hours of its commencement, as Azerbaijan continues to shell civilian settlements and launch offensives along the Line of Contact. Since the ceasefire officially began at noon on October 10, the Azerbaijani military has fired rockets at populated cities including Stepanakert and Martuni, resulting in five civilian deaths in the past day.
In addition to continuing to target civilian populations, the Azerbaijani military violates the ceasefire agreement by instigating provocations along the Line of Contact. Ministry of Defense (MoD) Press Secretary Shushan Stepanyan tweeted that Azeri forces launched assaults in the southern direction of the Line of Contact using armored vehicles and missiles. They additionally set an offensive in motion in the northeastern direction that was halted by the Defense Army, resulting in Azerbaijani military casualties and losses to equipment including two armored units. During his evening press briefing MoD representative Artsrun Hovhannisyan rebutted announcements that the Armenian army is responsible for violating the ceasefire. According to the Artsakh Defense Ministry, 25 soldiers from the Defense Army were killed in combat in the past day.
Hovhannisyan additionally confirmed a claim that combat drones are being shipped to Azerbaijan under the cover of humanitarian cargo from Israel and Turkey. “If Israel says they are not aware, this is a mockery in front of the world. Israel will also have to answer for the genocide taking place, a country that has suffered and lives its own genocide,” he averred.
The office of the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Artsakh published a second interim report on the Azerbaijani atrocities against the population of Artsakh committed between September 27 and October 9. The report details the aggressive, indiscriminate and deliberate attacks targeting civilian settlements and objects. According to the report, the Azerbaijani military attacked 120 civilian settlements within that time frame. As a result, 20 civilians have been killed and 100 wounded. Severe damage has been inflicted upon 5,800 immovable properties (including residential homes and stores), 520 vehicles, and 960 infrastructural, public and industrial objects (including electricity, gas, kindergartens and cultural centers). The report also highlights the use of banned weapons for the purpose of inspiring terror, including multiple rocket launching systems, cluster munitions and military drones.
In a live briefing Sunday evening, Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan stated that the civilized world recognizes the genocidal acts committed by Azerbaijan in Artsakh with the backing of Turkey and international terrorist groups. “The people of Artsakh want peace more than anyone else in the world. However, we cannot accept conditions imposed on us by a country that aims to annihilate the history of Artsakh and its people,” he asserted. Pres. Harutyunyan went on to say that he would ask the Republic of Armenia and other countries to formally recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh if Azerbaijan does not demonstrate readiness for a peaceful resolution within the next two days.
Pres. Harutyunyan upheld Artsakh’s commitment to respecting the ceasefire agreement, yet maintained that the Artsakh Defense Army, with the support of the Armenian community, will not refuse a long-term war and will respond harshly. “I will declare a patriotic war and I will call on all Armenians to participate financially, and, if they will, physically,” he proclaimed.
The President of Artsakh also visited a number of medical institutions in the republic and met with their medical staff, alongside the Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Souren Papikyan. He conveyed “special gratitude to the doctors from Mother Armenia and the Diaspora whose joint work with the colleagues from Artsakh is a symbol of national unity.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia censured Turkey for “sponsoring Azerbaijan’s information and political campaign aimed at undermining the provisions of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities” and “supplying Azerbaijan with foreign terrorist fighters from the Middle East, military equipment and experts” motivated by its expansionist ambitions. The statement refutes the allegations set forth by the Turkish Foreign Ministry today that Armenia is responsible for violating the ceasefire as “groundless.”
Meanwhile the National Assembly of Artsakh called for the creation of a Joint Anti-Terror Coalition between Armenia, Russia and Iran to “physically and effectively neutralize the terrorists and their groups that have infiltrated the region.” The statement warns that the presence of international terrorist organizations represents a direct threat to the security and territorial integrity of the three countries, thus “creating new zones of instability in the region.”
Making no reference to Azerbaijan’s hostile transgressions of the truce, the European Union (EU) published a statement today welcoming the humanitarian ceasefire. The EU urged both parties to strictly abide by the agreement, while noting with “extreme concern the reports of continued military activities, including against civilian targets, as well as civilian casualties.”
As was planned and announced on October 7, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan will meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow tomorrow, October 12.
Lillian Avedian


Armenian Weekly

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