Azerbaijan Says Military Operation in Nagorno-Karabakh Will continue

By Justice Nwafor • 1 week ago

The office of the Azerbaijani President made public on September 19th its determination to continue the military operation against Nagorno-Karabakh until all “illegal Armenian military formations” surrender. This declaration directly contradicts Armenia’s earlier assertion that it has no military presence in Nagorno-Karabakh and is not involved in any hostilities.

The Azerbaijani government further displayed its readiness to meet with representatives from the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh in Yevlakh, an Azerbaijani city. This follows the military operation initiated by Azerbaijan on September 19th in Nagorno-Karabakh, with the aim of “restoring the constitutional order”.

Conflict Consequences and International Recognition

The Ombudsman of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has reported 25 fatalities and 138 injuries as a result of the recent conflict. Despite being internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, Nagorno-Karabakh’s population of 120,000 is mainly Armenian. The region declared independence in 1991 with the military backing of Yerevan. Until 2020, Armenia effectively controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding regions.

Operation Reclaim

In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a military operation to reclaim parts of Nagorno-Karabakh. An armistice between Armenia and Azerbaijan was brokered by Russia in November 2020, leading to Moscow sending forces to patrol the Lachin corridor, the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

Despite this, Yerevan accused Russia of failing its peacekeeping mission in 2022 when it began withdrawing its troops and allowed Azerbaijan to blockade Nagorno-Karabakh, barring basic supplies from reaching its population.

International Reactions and Implications

The escalation has drawn wide international attention. The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Azerbaijan to halt its operation immediately, saying it was worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in Karabakh. The European Union, France, and Germany also condemned Azerbaijan’s military action, calling on it to return to talks on the future of Karabakh with Armenia.

Loud and repeated shelling was audible from social media footage filmed in Stepanakert, the capital of Karabakh, called Khankendi by Azerbaijan. The Karabakh separatist human rights ombudsman reported that Azerbaijani forces had so far seized more than 60 military posts and destroyed up to 20 military vehicles with other hardware.

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Justice Nwafor

Justice Nwarfor, a devoted and skilled journalist, concentrates on vital environmental concerns, climate change, and global health, primarily in West Africa. With a knack for uncovering underreported stories, Justice employs data-driven reporting techniques and is currently learning Python to further advance his abilities. Before joining BNN, he was a lead journalist at the Nigerian Tribune. His extensive journeys to remote communities have enabled him to amplify the voices of those frequently ignored by mainstream media. Throughout his career, Justice has highlighted the challenges faced by indigenous communities grappling with the consequences of deforestation, oil spills, gas flares, and rising sea levels. In addition, his investigations have exposed the severe realities of criminal gangs, illegal logging, and environmental devastation caused by mining.