Azerbaija-Armenia clashes enter into third day with no signs of abating

Deadly clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region on Monday entered into a third day with no signs of abating despite international calls for a halt in the fighting over the disputed territory.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a statement released on Monday that its army may carry out strikes on Khankendi, capital city of the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region.

"Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry has tasked all types of the armed forces, including the rocket and artillery troops, to be ready to carry out crushing strikes from all heavy combat weapons on Khankendi city and other occupied settlements, if Armenians do not stop shelling Azerbaijani settlements in a short time," said the statement.

Hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the contact line of the Nagorno-Karabakh region flared up overnight Saturday with the two countries blaming each other for triggering the escalation.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev earlier told local media that Azerbaijan is ready for a ceasefire, but puts forward a condition that the Armenian armed forces must withdraw from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

The remarks came after Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that Armenia is ready for compromises in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Earlier the Azerbaijani media reported that Armenian armed forces on Monday shelled and destroyed the mosque in Agdam, killing one older civilian.

Azerbaijan said it has neutralized 170 Armenian troops and destroyed 12 Armenian armored vehicles in Monday's counter-attack while three Azerbaijani troops were killed in the fight.

Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said 12 Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed in the fighting while the Armenian side confirmed that 18 soldiers died in the conflict.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter dispute over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh first broke out in 1988, when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes in the past along the borders and across the volatile frontline of the Karabakh area. The clashes turned deadly last month.

Source: XINHUA