Fighting again over disputed territory in Azerbaijan and Armenia
Azerbaijan and Armenia are once again at war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, with both sides accusing each other of violating a ceasefire agreement reached two years ago.
According to the news agency Reuters, Azerbaijan says that Armenia tried to capture a hill in the area under the control of Russian peacekeepers, which was foiled. According to Azeri officials, one of their soldiers was killed in this attack. They have termed it as a ceasefire violation.
"As a result, fighters for the illegal Armenian armed forces have been killed and wounded," the Azeri Defense Ministry statement said.
The declaration demanded that all Armenian troops withdraw from the area immediately or they would be "crushed" if necessary.
In response, Armenia accused Azerbaijan of violating the ceasefire in the area under the control of peacekeeping forces.
Armenia has asked the international community to take steps to prevent Azerbaijan's "aggressive behavior and actions".
The international community has also reacted to the resurgence of this conflict.
The European Union has called on the parties to immediately stop the provocation and said that the parties should respect the ceasefire.
A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said in a statement that "the EU will continue to help control tensions and work towards sustainable peace and stability in the South Caucasus."
The dispute has come to a head at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday.
It should be remembered that the ceasefire agreement in 2020 was reached through Russian efforts.
In addition, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that "the United States is deeply concerned about the loss of human lives and injuries, including the ongoing fierce fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, and is closely monitoring it."
"We insist on de-escalation and avoidance of escalation," he said.
Russia says that the situation in the areas under the control of its peacekeeping forces is getting more tense. Azeri forces have committed at least one ceasefire violation, according to Interfax news agency.