News, reports, photos / videos on military actions in Karabakh for September 27, 2020

Victims from Azerbaijan:

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan reported 14 wounded among the civilian population.

In particular, it is reported that in the village of Gashalti, Naftalan region of Azerbaijan, as a result of an artillery strike by the Armenian armed forces, five members of one family were killed. About  dead and wounded among the military, nothing is reported.

In his address to the nation, President Ilham Aliyev said that there were victims, expressed condolences, but did not name the number.

The death of a 40-year-old lieutenant colonel was made unofficially known by blogger Habib Muntezir announced this on Twitter.

Victims from Karabakh:

16 people died, more than 100 were injured, said Deputy Defense Minister of Karabakh Artur Sargsyan.

Both sides report dozens of deaths on the “other” side, as well as many pieces of equipment destroyed or captured.

Head EU diplomat Josep Borrell, during negotiations with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, called for an immediate ceasefire and return to the negotiating table. On his microblog on Twitter, he wrote:

“This conflict cannot be resolved by military means. The only way to move forward is to return without preconditions to the negotiating table under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.”

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense claims that Azerbaijani troops have taken control of the Vardenis-Mardakert (Agdere) road and the Agdere (Mardakert)-Kelbajar road.

Wikipedia describes Mount Murovdag as the highest mountain range of the Lesser Caucasus, about 70 km long and 10 km wide.

Photo Wikipedia

PM Nikol Pashinyan: in this matter it is important to take into account the opinion of the public and all the arguments “for” and “against”.

The recognition of the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh will be in response to the aggression of Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan also said that now “there is no fixed situation in Karabakh, it is in development.”

In connection with the martial law, from 21:00 on September 27, a curfew been announced in the capital of Baku and in the cities of Ganja, Goygol, Yevlakh and in several other districts. The decision was made at an emergency meeting of the Azerbaijani parliament.

Earlier today, martial law and mobilization were declared in Armenia and Karabakh.

At 6 am on September 27, large-scale military operations began around Nagorno-Karabakh and on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both military and civilian casualties on both sides have been reported. Follow details in posts throughout the day on this blog.

In the photo: a flash mob in Baku. The inscription on the poster: “Destroy Stepanakert (Khankendi). We’ll (re)build it.”

Stepanakert is the name for the capital of Karabakh by the Armenian population, Khankendi is the name used in Baku and the Azerbaijani population who fled from Karabakh during the Karabakh war in the early 1990s.

Turkey’s involvement will make the already volatile situation in the region irreversible, he said.

“We are on the brink of a full-scale war in the South Caucasus, which might have unpredictable consequences. It might spill beyond the region, endangering international security and stability”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

He reiterated Armenia’s support for the Karabakh authorities and said Yerevan was capable of forcing Azerbaijan into a cease fire.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is “concerned about the shelling along the line of contact” in Nagorno-Karabakh, which began early in the morning on September 27.

He said this during a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, adding that the hostilities “need to be stopped as soon as possible”.

A few hours earlier, a similar telephone conversation had taken place between the foreign ministers of Russia and Armenia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Armenians “to oppose the government that have led them to the tragedy and used them as a doll”.

Erdogan wrote on his Twitter that “the whole world should be with Azerbaijan in its fight against occupation and evil.”

The Azerbaijani defense ministry has published this video from the battlefield.

Human rights defender of Nagorno-Karabakh Artak Beglaryan posted on his Facebook page photos of injured people who were wounded during the shelling of the Azerbaijani armed forces.

At a briefing in Baku, Anar Eyvazov, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, named the following villages:

Garakhanbeyli, Gervend, Kend Horadiz and Yukhary Abdurrahmanli in Fizuli region, Boyuk Marjanli and Nuzgar in the Jabrayil region.

Eyvazov also said that Armenian posts in the Agderinsky region and Murovdag were destroyed, and “important positions passed into the hands of the Azerbaijani army.”

The Armenian Defense Ministry denied this information and called it “another information provocation of the Azerbaijani propaganda machine.”

Aide to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev has shared photos of the wounded in Azerbaijani villages which are under fire from the Armenian armed forces on his Twitter.

In Karabakh, as a result of shelling of settlements by the Azerbaijani armed forces, two civilians were killed, more than 10 people have been injured including women and children, the office of the Ombudsman of Karabakh reports.

It is also noted that the armed forces of Azerbaijan are targeting the civilian population, “which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has discussed with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan the situation in Karabakh, where large-scale hostilities began on the morning of September 27.

Lavrov stated that Russia will continue mediation efforts to stabilize the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Almost at the same time, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that they considered Armenia responsible for the aggravation of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and promised support to Azerbaijan.

The Armenian Defense Ministry has published new footage of the destruction of Azerbaijani military equipment.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan has reported casualties and wounded among the civilian population and military personnel.

Casualties have been reported as a result of intense shelling in the following villages:

Gapanly, Tartar district,

Chiragly and Orta Gervend – Aghdam region,

Alkhanli and Shukurbeyli – Fizuli region,

Jojug Marjanli – Jebrail region.

Serious damage was caused to houses and civilian objects.

The village of Gapanli in the Terter region of Azerbaijan under fire from Armenia

Martial law was introduced in Armenia and a general mobilization was announced.

Martial law and mobilization were declared in Karabakh a few hours ago.

In a live address concerning the situation on the front, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said that on the morning of September 27, Armenia bombarded settlements, as well as positions of the Azerbaijani army, as a result of which several dead and wounded have been counted among the civilian population and military servicemen.

“Their blood will not remain unavenged,” Ilham Aliyev said and said that “as a result of counterstrikes on positions, a large amount of enemy military equipment was destroyed.”

President of Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan has declared martial law and general mobilization for reserves over 18 years old.

“We have always stated that we are not supporters of war, but are ready for it. There is no greater supporter of peace, and no one loves peace anymore. We did not want war, it was imposed on us, and we are obliged to defend our homeland and our families. President of Azerbaijan Aliyev will be personally responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe threatening the region,” Harutyunyan said.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Transport and Communications announced that the Internet is sharply limited throughout the country “to prevent a large-scale provocation of Armenia.” “We hope that the citizens of Azerbaijan will show understanding because of the restrictions that may arise in connection with the Internet in this situation of conflict ,” the statement said.

On the morning of September 27, 2020, hostilities began around Karabakh and on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has published a press release that states:

“In order to suppress the combat activity of the armed forces of Armenia and ensure the safety of the civilian population, the command of the Azerbaijan Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of troops along the entire front.”

The statement notes that it involves personnel, tank units with the support of missile and artillery troops, front-line aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced a “blitzkrieg counter-offensive operation.”

The Defense Ministry of Armenia accused Azerbaijan of having “planned the military actions long in advance.”

“Anyone with basic military knowledge knows that planning a counterattack takes weeks. And Azerbaijan immediately officially announced the start of a ‘counterattack.’ A few minutes after this official announcement of the escalation, the Azerbaijani-Turkish media published materials from the front line, which once again proves that the provocation initiated by Azerbaijan was planned in advance.”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan posted on his page that “the Artsakh defense army is successfully resisting the attack” and urged the population to trust only official sources.

The day before, on September 26, on the websites of the US embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan, a Security Alert was published for American citizens in connection with the danger of renewed hostilities. US citizens residing in Armenia were advised not to visit Tavush and Karabakh. US citizens residing in Azerbaijan were advised not to leave the Absheron Peninsula.

Photo – screenshot from the live broadcast of the Turkish channel TRT from the scene