Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh wait close to Kornidzor, the city in Syunik area, Armenia, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.
By Avet Demourian | Related Press
YEREVAN, Armenia — A robust blast rocked the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh area Monday night as ethnic Armenians streamed out of the breakaway territory after the Azerbaijani army reclaimed full management of it in a lighting offensive final week.
The explosion at gas storage facility close to the regional capital of Stepanakert wounded greater than 200 individuals, Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan mentioned on X, previously referred to as Twitter. It was not instantly clear what brought about the blast, which occurred as residents had been lining as much as get gas for his or her automobiles with the intention to depart the area.
Nearly all of the victims had been in “extreme or extraordinarily extreme” situation, Stepanyan mentioned, including that the victims would must be airlifted out of the area for medical remedy to save lots of their lives. It was not instantly clear if there have been any deaths.
The Azerbaijani army routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz final week, forcing the separatist authorities to agree to put down weapons and begin talks on Nagorno-Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan after three a long time of separatist rule.
Whereas Azerbaijan has pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians within the area and restore provides after a 10-month blockade, many native residents feared reprisals and determined to go away for Armenia.
The Armenian authorities mentioned that extra 6,500 Nagorno-Karabakh residents had fled to Armenia as of Monday night. Moscow mentioned that Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh had been helping the evacuation. Some 700 individuals remained within the peacekeepers’ camp there by Monday night time.
Dozens of individuals had been lining up on the gas facility the place the blast occurred as a result of they’d been promised gas — a shortage through the blockade — for his or her automobiles with the intention to transfer to Armenia, based on Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist authorities.
The explosion happened hours after the second spherical of talks between Azerbaijani officers and separatist representatives was held Monday within the city of Khojaly, simply north of the Nagorno-Karabakh capital. The primary spherical was held final week. Azerbaijan’s presidential workplace mentioned in a press release that the talks had been held “in a constructive environment” and that dialogue centered on humanitarian help to the area and medical providers.
Azerbaijan’s Protection Ministry mentioned Monday that two of its troopers had been killed a day earlier when a army truck hit a land mine. It didn’t identify the realm the place the explosion occurred.
In an tackle to the nation Sunday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mentioned his authorities was working with worldwide companions to guard the rights and safety of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“If these efforts don’t produce concrete outcomes, the federal government will welcome our sisters and brothers from Nagorno-Karabakh within the Republic of Armenia with each care,” he mentioned.
Demonstrators demanding Pashinyan’s resignation over what they name his failure to guard Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh continued blocking the Armenian capital’s principal avenues Monday, clashing often with police.
Russian peacekeepers have been within the area since 2020, when a Russian-brokered armistice ended a six-week warfare between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pashinyan and plenty of others in Armenia accused the peacekeepers of failing to forestall the hostilities and defend the Armenian inhabitants. Moscow rejected the accusations, arguing that its forces had no authorized grounds to intervene, notably after Pashinyan’s recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan.
“We’re categorically in opposition to makes an attempt to place the blame on the Russian facet, particularly the Russian peacekeepers, who’ve proven a real heroism,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned in a convention name with reporters.
He demurred when requested whether or not the Russian peacekeepers would stay within the area, saying that “nobody can actually say something for now.”
Nagorno-Karabakh got here below the management of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian army, in separatist combating that led to 1994. Throughout the warfare in 2020, Azerbaijan took again elements of Nagorno-Karabakh together with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had claimed through the earlier battle.
In December, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the one highway connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian authorities was utilizing the highway for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the area’s separatist forces.
Armenia charged that the closure denied fundamental meals and gas provides to Nagorno-Karabakh’s roughly 120,000 individuals. Azerbaijan rejected the accusation, arguing the area might obtain provides by way of the Azerbaijani metropolis of Aghdam — an answer lengthy resisted by Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, who referred to as it a technique for Azerbaijan to realize management of the area.
On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged help for Armenia and Armenians, saying that France will mobilize meals and medical help for the inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh, and maintain working towards a ”sustainable peace” within the area.
France, which has an enormous Armenian diaspora, has for many years performed a mediating function in Nagorno-Karabakh. Just a few hundred individuals rallied exterior the French Overseas Ministry over the weekend, demanding sanctions in opposition to Azerbaijan and accusing Paris of not doing sufficient to guard Armenian pursuits within the area.
“France may be very vigilant about Armenia’s territorial integrity as a result of that’s what is at stake,” Macron mentioned in an interview with France-2 and TF1 tv, accusing Russia of complicity with Azerbaijan and charging that Turkey threatens Armenia’s borders.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, within the meantime, visited Azerbaijan on Monday in a present of help to its ally.
Russia has been the principle ally and sponsor of Armenia and has a army base there, however it additionally has sought to take care of pleasant ties with Azerbaijan. However Moscow’s clout within the area has waned rapidly amid the Russian warfare in Ukraine whereas the affect of Azerbaijan’s high ally Turkey has elevated.
Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on Monday for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to debate Turkey-Azerbaijan ties and regional and world points. Nakhchivan is lower off from the remainder of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory however types a slim border with Turkey.
Erdogan and Aliyev signed a deal for a fuel pipeline and the Turkish chief mentioned “I’m very happy to be with all of you as we join Nakhchivan with the Turkish world.”
Requested about Erdogan’s go to, Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, voiced hope that it’s going to “contribute to the regional safety and assist normalize life in Karabakh.”
Aliyev, at a information convention with Erdogan, mentioned “It’s crystal clear that, impartial of their ethnicity, the individuals residing within the Karabakh area are Azerbaijani individuals so their security and safety is ensured by the Azerbaijani state.”
In the meantime, the top of the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth, Samantha Energy, visited Armenia Monday to “affirm U.S. help for Armenia’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy and to assist tackle humanitarian wants stemming from the latest violence in Nagorno-Karabakh,” her workplace mentioned in a press release. She was joined by U.S. Division of State Performing Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim.
“The USA is deeply involved about reviews on the humanitarian situations in Nagorno-Karabakh and requires unimpeded entry for worldwide humanitarian organizations and business visitors,” USAID mentioned.
On the United Nations, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric advised reporters that the world group is worried concerning the inflow of individuals into Armenia. “If we’re, because the U.N., given entry, we stand able to conduct humanitarian wants evaluation and supply help to affected individuals,” he mentioned. Requested whether or not the U.N. was keen to take any additional motion, he mentioned its “focus proper now’s on doable humanitarian help.”
Related Press writers Aida Sultanova in London, Andrew Wilks in Istanbul, Jennifer Peltz in New York, and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.