Dozen die in Armenia and Azerbaijan clashes

C: https://www.bbc.com/

There was a serious clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Almost a dozen soldiers died in this clash. Nikol Pashinyan is the Prime Minister of Armenia. He mentioned that 49 Armenian soldiers died during this clash. The clashes reportedly happened overnight.

Armenia and Azerbaijan do not have a good relationship. They were at war for almost two years. They have witnessed several big as well as small clashes over 30 years. The countries have been under tense conditions for a long time now.

Ironically, Russia intervened in the clash to calm things down. Russia said that it has made them agree to a ceasefire condition. But Armenia denied this claim of Russia. Armenia said that the fighting is less than it was before. But it has not stopped at all.

Nagorno-Karabakh is the main epicenter of this clash. It has been the center of clashes and wars for a long time now. It comes under Azerbaijan as per international standards. But the population mostly has ethnic Armenians.

There is continuous tension because of an ever-present cultural divide. Religion also plays a major role. Muslims reside in Azerbaijan. Christians reside in Armenia. The era between the 1980s and 1990s was very difficult because the countries were at war. 2020 saw a six-week war, and several clashes continued.

Both countries continue to blame each other for the clashes. Armenia said that Azerbaijan shelled its towns near the border. So, the clash was nothing but a straightforward response. Azerbaijan said that Armenia attacked its military positions first.

Many countries condemned the attacks. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that there could be no military solution to a conflict. Russia pulled for “political and diplomatic solutions” to this conflict. Turkey supported Azerbaijan as it has close ties with it. Russia’s soldiers are present in the area to stop further clashes.

Credits: BBC

Ishita Paul