The president of the self-proclaimed republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Arayik Harutyunyan, said that the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan that took effect at noon on Saturday was not fully observed over the weekend.
No shelling occurred in the capital of the unrecognised Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) overnight from Sunday to Monday, a Sputnik correspondent reports.
On Monday morning, air raid sirens went off in Stepanakert for about five minutes, starting from around 7:27 a.m. local time (3:27 GMT), according to a Sputnik correspondent, who says that it was likely that a reconnaissance drone was spotted by the radars. Local eyewitnesses said that two or three explosions were heard somewhere far from the city.
Over the weekend, Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said that two towns had been shelled by Azerbaijan despite the active ceasefire brokered by Russia, while Baku claimed that the city of Ganja was attacked with missiles from the territory of Armenia, an accusation that has strongly been denied by Yerevan.
Clashes along the contact line of the disputed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh erupted in late September abd have been ongoing since then, leaving hundreds dead on the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides. During the Friday talks in Moscow, foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire, however, the parties to the conflict have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce.
Armenian MoD Says Karabakh Forces Have Destroyed Azerbaijan's Su-25
The Karabakh military's anti-air defense units have destroyed an Azerbaijani Su-25 fighter, the Armenian Defense Ministry's spokeswoman, Shushan Stepanyan, said on Monday.
"The Azerbaijan Air Forces are using Su-25 fighters, covered by Turkey's F-16, along the entire line of contact. The anti-air defense units of the Artsakh [Karabakh] Defense Army have downed a Su-25 of the adversary in the north-east," Stepanyan wrote on Facebook.
Azerbaijani President Says Baku Committed to Ceasefire Regime at Contact Line in Karabakh
"We have been committed to the ceasefire since it entered force," Aliyev said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster Haber Global.
The Azeri president said Armenia had breached the truce, but Baku was "showing restraint."
"First of all, it [the agreement] expects the sides to exchange bodies of the military personnel, exchange the wounded based on humanitarian ideals. We have wanted to do this from day one, but Armenia did not want to," Aliyev said.
Azerbaijan prefers to resolve the issue peacefully but is determined to see the matter through, Aliyev said.
Armenian FM Says Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire Verification Mechanisms Needed
"We keep receiving information that Azerbaijan is not complying with its obligations regarding the ceasefire. With that in mind, I would like to stress the importance of introducing verification mechanisms that will help ensure that the ceasefire is being upheld," the Armenian minister said at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
According to Mnatsakanyan, the Azeri air force has attacked more than 120 towns and villages in the Karabakh, including the region's largest city — Stepanakert.
Russia's role is very important with regard to the ceasefire in Karabakh, the Armenian minister said.
Source: Sputnik
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