STEPANAKERT: A third attempt at halting weeks of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh collapsed quickly on Monday with Armenia and Azerbaijan trading accusations of violating the US-brokered ceasefire within minutes.

As fighting over the disputed region enters its second month, international mediators are scrambling to bring a stop to frontline clashes and shelling of civilian areas that have left hundreds dead.

The latest “humanitarian ceasefire” was announced by Washington on Sunday, after truces brokered by Russia and France fell apart over previous weekends.

It took less than an hour after the ceasefire was due to begin at 8am for the first accusations to be made.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said Armenian forces had shelled the town of Terter and nearby villages in “gross violation” of the truce.

Armenia’s defence ministry said Azerbaijani forces had violated the truce with artillery fire on combat positions in various parts of the frontline.

Karabakh’s rights ombudsman said a missile strike had hit a village in the region, killing one civilian and wounding two others.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a bitter conflict over Karabakh since Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized control of the mountainous province in a 1990s war that left 30,000 people dead.

Karabakh’s self-declared independence has not been recognised internationally, even by Armenia, and it remains a part of Azerbaijan under international law. The current fighting broke out on Sept 27. Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of having targeted civilians and of breaking the previous truces.

In an address to the nation, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Armenia had “immediately violated” the ceasefire on Monday.

“I have ordered our military to show restraint and not give in to provocation,” Aliyev said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Twitter that “despite several provocations, the ceasefire is being maintained.

“The Armenian side will continue to strictly adhere to the ceasefire regime,” he said.

After coming under heavy shelling at the start of the fighting, Nagorno-Karabakh’s main city Stepanakert has been quieter in recent days.

Journalists in the city on Monday said the night had been calm. There were fewer sounds of fighting coming from the frontline on Monday morning than in previous days, though rounds of shelling could be heard in the distance.

More than 1,000 people have been reported dead in the fighting, mainly Armenian separatist fighters but also dozens of civilians on both sides.

Azerbaijan has not released any figures on its military casualties and the death toll is believed to be substantially higher, with Russian President Vladimir Putin saying last week that close to 5,000 people had been killed.

Russia, France and the United States are leaders of the “Minsk Group” which has failed since the 1990s to bring about a negotiated settlement to the conflict.

This year’s fighting is the heaviest since a 1994 ceasefire, raising fears that both Russia, which has a military alliance with Armenia, and Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey could be further drawn into the conflict.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2020