An Azerbaijani military unit has unlawfully advanced further into the territory of Nagorno Karabakh after crossing the contact line set by the Russian-brokered 2020 peace deal and seized a high ground area after which they started field works in the area, local authorities warned on Saturday.
The official Information Center of Nagorno Karabakh reported that Azeri troops on Saturday breached the line of contact in the Shushi-Lisagor section in violation of the November 9, 2020, trilateral statement, and secured some positional advance.
Following the breach, the Nagorno Karabakh authorities immediately notified the Russian peacekeepers, expecting that the peacekeeping contingent will take practical steps for eliminating the consequences of this violation and prevent new violations.
The Information Center accused in their statement Azerbaijan of using as a pretext for their own renewed aggressive and destructive actions its false claim on the alleged use of the Stepanakert-Ghaybalishen-Lisagor mountain road for arms shipments.
The statement says that previously on March 5, Azeri troops had used the same pretext to ambush and kill three on-duty police officers and injured another one.
The Nagorno Karabakh authorities emphasized that the abovementioned mountain road is used for civilian, urgent connection between the four communities in the Shushi region and Stepanakert in conditions of the ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
Given the highly complex and hazardous terrain of the road, the transport is carried out with high-clearance, large vehicles, they noted.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Saturday that Baku’s forces have violated the 2020 deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, pointing out that the incident is now being investigated by the Russian peacekeepers stationed in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The deal includes the establishment of contacts between civilian groups, lawmakers, and religious leaders from Azerbaijan and Armenia, the delimitation of their national borders, and the opening of transportation routes.
In an attempt to prevent the crisis escalation and stop the warring parties from launching provocations, the peacekeepers demanded that Baku pull back its troops in accordance with the peace deal but it’s unclear if the Azeri troops complied with the peacekeepers’ demands.
