6 citizens killed by land mines in Karabakh, claims Azerbaijan

With a population that is primarily of Armenian descent and accepted internationally as being a part of Azerbaijan, Karabakh broke away from Baku’s rule in the early 1990s following a war. In a conflict in 2020, Azerbaijan reclaimed large areas of surrounding territory Image Courtesy AFP

In two separate events in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Azerbaijan reported on Tuesday that six of its nationals had been killed by land mines. “Illegal Armenian armed groups” were to blame for the lethal devices’ placement.

With a population that is primarily of Armenian descent and accepted internationally as being a part of Azerbaijan, Karabakh broke away from Baku’s rule in the early 1990s following a war. In a conflict in 2020, Azerbaijan reclaimed large areas of surrounding territory.

Four personnel of the interior ministry were killed, according to reports from Baku, when a mine blew up their truck close to where a tunnel was being built. It said that another mine had killed two civilians who were also riding in a truck.

The ethnic Armenian administration in Karabakh, which Azerbaijan wants to dismantle in order to reintegrate the region, did not respond right away. On Monday, Armenia denied claims that its own armed personnel had planted mines on Azerbaijani soil.

A day after desperately needed supplies of food and medication were simultaneously transported to Karabakh along two highways, a move that appeared to have the potential to reduce rising tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the landmine incidents took place.

But bilateral relations are still quite strained.

On Tuesday, the defence ministry of Azerbaijan accused “illegal Armenian armed groups” of interfering with a passenger plane’s GPS navigation as it was travelling from Tbilisi, Georgia, to Baku.

The charge, according to ethnic Armenians in Karabakh, is “an absolute lie” that is intended to draw attention away from “the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the illegal blockade” of Karabakh by Baku.

That was in reference to Azerbaijani restrictions that had been in place for months on the Lachin corridor, the only route between Armenia and Karabakh, and which, until recently, had prevented aid from entering on the pretext that it was allegedly being used for arms smuggling.

The foreign ministry of Armenia stated on Monday that it appeared as though Azerbaijan was setting the stage for a military escalation with its diplomatic attitude.

Both parties claim that they remain committed to settling their differences via a peace deal.

(With agency inputs)