4 Soldiers Killed in Azerbaijan-Armenia Clash

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Facts

  • Four Armenian servicemen were reportedly killed and three Azerbaijani soldiers were wounded on Friday in a skirmish near the villages of Sotk and Norabaknear, northwest of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.1
  • Nagorno-Karabakh has been a source of contention between the countries since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Conflict over the region has existed between ethnic Armenians and Turkic Azeris for over a century.2
  • Both sides blamed the other for initiating the clash, claiming their forces were defending themselves.3
  • The violence comes a few weeks after Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan warned that a stall in peace talks between the two countries meant that the possibility of a new war with Azerbaijan "is very likely." Despite mediation efforts by the US, the EU, and Russia, the two sides have failed to reach a consensus.4
  • In negotiations, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of collecting troops along the border in August, and Armenia accused Azerbaijan of opening fire on EU observers. The two sides have previously fought two wars for control over the region, which falls within Azerbaijan's territory but is largely populated by ethnic Armenians.3
  • US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says that Washington believes a peace agreement "is still within reach" and urged the two countries to continue with dialogue.4

Sources: 1Reuters, 2VOA, 3Al Jazeera, and 4POLITICO.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Aze Media. Armenia's leadership thinks it can escalate tensions while also playing the victim in the Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. It seems, yet again, that it is Yerevan that wants more violence.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Al Arabiya English. Azerbaijan continues to escalate the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with provocative actions. Ethnic Armenians are facing continued oppression in Nagorno-Karabakh while the international community remains silent. Azerbaijan cannot continue making its aggressive threats.