Fighting has broken out between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The two former Soviet republics have considered each other mortal enemies since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and fighting broke out between the two on Sunday. This was after a series of clashes in July had killed a number of people, including civilians.
The two countries had gone to war in the early 1990s over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is officially part of Azerbaijan, but is populated by Christian Armenians, and is a de jure part of Armenia.
The fighting which broke out on Sunday is linked to Nagorno-Karabakh (unlike July’s clashes). Both sides blame the other for the outbreak of hostilities, with each claiming that the other launched unprovoked attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia and the government of Nagorno-Karabakh (also called the Republic of Artsakh) have both implemented martial law and a total mobilization of the territories’ male populations. Azerbaijan has also declared martial law.
There are worries that the conflict could escalate regional tensions, as the Armenians are allied to Russia, while Azerbaijan has Turkish support.
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