Military actions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border
Hostilities on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border broke out overnight on September 13. According to the Armenian journalists at the scene, at 7am the shelling is not as intense as it was last night, but shooting continues.
According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, Azerbaijani armed forces used artillery and drones and shelled the Armenian cities of Jermuk, Goris, Vardenis, Kapan and several villages near the border, including Sotk.
The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan confirmed the escalation on the border, but categorically rejected claims of an invasion and accused the Armenian military of mining Azerbaijani positions.
Representatives of both sides stated that there were casualties among Armenian soldiers, but as yet there is no concrete information about this.
There are reports on social networks that positional battles are taking place on certain sections of the border. This also has not been confirmed.
What is known so far
● The Security Council of Armenia, convened at night, decided to formally appeal to Russia, the CSTO and the UN Security Council in connection with the hostilities on the border with Azerbaijan. The meeting was attended by President Vahagn Khachaturian and Chairman of the National Assembly Alen Simonian.
The Collective Security Treaty (CSTO, led by Russia) provides for mutual assistance in the event of an attack on a member country. Armenia is a member of the CSTO, Azerbaijan is not.
● Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held emergency telephone calls with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and French President Emmanuel Macron.
● Blinken issued a statement and called on Azerbaijan and Armenia to immediately cease any fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. “The United States is deeply concerned about reports of attacks along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, including reports of strikes on populated areas and civilian infrastructure inside Armenia. As we made clear long ago, there can be no military solution to the conflict. We urge an immediate cessation of all hostilities.”
● Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Karen Donfried, last night.
● Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov by phone.
● Head of the Defense and International Cooperation Department of the Armenian Defense Ministry Levon Ayvazin and representatives of the General Staff met with the military attachés of foreign embassies in Armenia.
● “We are concerned about reports that the Azerbaijani armed forces subjected the Armenian settlements of Goris, Jermuk, Vardenis and Sotk to heavy shelling. We call on both sides to immediately cease fire and find a peaceful solution,” the international human rights organization Freedom House said.
● Radio Azatatyun (the Armenian edition of Radio Liberty) reported that a Russian military base had been alerted in Gyumri, Armenia.
“Large-scale provocation of Azerbaijan” – Armenian Foreign Ministry
The Armenian Defense Ministry announced a large-scale provocation by Azerbaijan:
“After midnight on September 13, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery pieces, mortars and UAVs opened intense fire on Armenian positions located in several directions of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border at once.
“The positions located in Sotk, Vardenis, Goris, Kapan, Ishakhanasar were subjected to shelling. Attacks are also being made on civilian infrastructure.
“The Armenian armed forces are fulfilling the tasks assigned to them on a full scale.
“The statements of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan that Armenia started the shelling are an absolute lie. Moreover, the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan prepared the information ground for this provocation, as evinced by daily misinformation about alleged Armenian shelling.
“We are well acquainted with this propaganda since the 44-day war of 2020. As in all cases, this provocation was also unleashed by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan.
“On our side there are dead and wounded. Info is being updated.”
“Azerbaijan has not invaded Armenia” – Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
In the words of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry:
“Rumors in Armenian media and social networks about Azerbaijan invading Armenia are nonsense.
“The aggressor and occupier state in the region is the Republic of Armenia. The presence of the Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh economic zone of Azerbaijan continues to this day.
“The Azerbaijani army, in response to Armenia’s provocations, is carrying out countermeasures and neutralizing firing points.
“The ongoing policy of Armenian military adventurism and revanchism, the shelling of Azerbaijani army positions in the Kalbajar, Lachin, Dashkesan and Gedabek areas over the past month, and the large-scale provocations caused by it today are the main reasons for an escalation of the conflict.
“Therefore, the responsibility lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia.”
Military actions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border
