Armenia-Azerbaijan Fighting Intensifies
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International MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020 Kyrgyzstan holds election marked by voter Thousands protest coronavirus curbs in Germany over weekend Page 6 disillusion and party splits Page 7 Armenia-Azerbaijan fighting intensifies Azerbaijan’s second-largest city bombarded STEPANAKERT, Azerbaijan: tory,” said Hikmet Hajiyev, an advisor to New Caledonia Armenian and Azerbaijani forces Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. He exchanged rocket fire as fighting intensi- said Armenian forces had also used rejects independence fied over Nagorno-Karabakh yesterday, heavy artillery and rockets against the with the breakaway region’s capital and towns of Terter and Goradiz in NOUMEA, France: The French South Pacific territory Azerbaijan’s second-largest city bom- Azerbaijan. of New Caledonia narrowly rejected independence in a barded. referendum yesterday, the archipelago’s high commis- Armenia said that Nagorno- ‘Decisive moment’ sion said after a partial count of the votes. The anti- Karabakh’s main city Stepanakert, which Karabakh’s separatist forces said they independence vote fell to 53.3 percent, according to the has been under artillery fire since Friday, had targeted and destroyed an airbase in 70 percent of ballots counted, down from 56.7 percent was hit again yesterday and AFP jour- Ganja, but Baku denied this as a “provo- in a previous referendum two years ago, it said. nalists said there were regular explo- cation” and said civilian infrastructure Turnout was high at 85.5 percent, the commission sions and clouds of black smoke rising in and housing had been hit. Azerbaijan’s said, reflecting enthusiasm of voters who had formed parts of the city. Azerbaijan’s defense ally Turkey accused Armenia of “target- long queues to cast their ballots. Yesterday’s referen- ministry said Ganja, a city of more than ing civilians” in Ganja and reiterated dum was part of a carefully negotiated decoloniza- 330,000 in western Azerbaijan, was also support for its fellow Turkic and Muslim tion plan agreed in 1998, which ended a deadly con- “under fire”, while Armenian-backed country as “one nation, two states”. flict between the mostly pro-independence indige- separatist forces claimed to have Karabakh leader Arayik Harutyunyan GANJA, Azerbaijan: Emergency personnel work in a damaged area of this city nous Kanak population and the descendants of destroyed an airbase there. warned that it would now consider following a rocket strike yesterday during ongoing fighting between Armenia European settlers. The two sides accused each other of “military facilities in Azerbaijan’s big and Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. —AFP Another referendum can be held by 2022 so long targeting civilian areas, as the conflict cities” as legitimate targets. “I call on as the poll is requested by at least a third of the local appeared to be widening a week after the residents of these cities to immedi- legislature. heavy fighting broke out in the ately leave,” Harutyunyan said in a post with AFP saw residents picking through which considers Karabakh under Enthusiasm was high and authorities said turnout decades-old dispute over the ethnic- on Facebook. Harutyunyan announced the rubble of destroyed homes. “I was Armenian occupation-says Armenian was about 80 percent an hour before voting ended-a Armenian region. on Saturday that he was heading to the baking bread when I heard explosions, I forces must fully withdraw before a full six points higher than in its first independence refer- opened the door and saw that bombs ceasefire can be brokered. Karabakh’s Armenia and Azerbaijan have resis- front to join the fighting. Azerbaijani endum held in 2018 — leaving people to form long were falling right into the yard,” said declaration of independence from ted international calls for a ceasefire officials claimed Sunday that he had queues to cast their ballots. and clashes have intensified in recent been “seriously wounded” while in a one woman, showing journalists the Azerbaijan during the collapse of the “I waited 45 minutes. It’s very important for me to days, with both sides claiming victories bunker hit by bombing, but his office blown-out windows and partially col- Soviet Union sparked a war in the early vote,” said retiree Germaine Le Demezet in the capital on the front and saying they are inflict- denied this. lapsed roof of her home. 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives. Noumea. “I have children and grandchildren here, the ing heavy losses. Azerbaijan claims to have made gains Talks to resolve the conflict have Sirens were sounding and explosions in Karabakh in recent days, with its Praying for peace made little progress since a 1994 cease- future needs to be clear and we need to know what’s were heard at regular intervals in defense ministry saying that 14 settle- In Armenia’s majority-Christian cap- fire agreement. going to happen to us.” Stepanakert, where residents were tak- ments have been taken as well as a ital Yerevan, residents gathered in The breakaway province is not It will take several hours for the votes to be tallied ing shelter including several families in strategically important plateau. churches for services Sunday to pray acknowledged as independent by any and the result to be announced. Yesterday’s referendum the basement of a church. Armenia’s for- In an address to the country on and light candles. “The situation in the country-including Armenia-and is part of a carefully negotiated de-colonization plan eign ministry said Stepanakert and the Saturday, Prime Minister Nikol country is very critical,” Aytsemik Karabakh said Saturday that interna- agreed in 1998, which ended a deadly conflict between Karabakh town of Martakert were under Pashinyan said Armenians were facing a Melikyan told AFP outside the church tional recognition was “the only way the mostly pro-independence indigenous Kanak popu- rocket attack and accused Azerbaijani “decisive moment” and called for the Saint Sarkis Church. “I came to ask towards peace and security in the lation and the descendants of European settlers in the forces of “the deliberate targeting of the nation to come together. Armenia on God for peace, for our country and our region”. Armenia has accused Turkey 1980s. That violence culminated in a bloody, drawn-out civilian population”. Saturday announced the deaths of 51 soldiers.” of dispatching mercenaries from Syria hostage crisis in 1988 that saw 19 separatists killed on It said the Azerbaijani air force was more separatist fighters, taking the Russia, the United States and France- and Libya to the fighting-an allegation one side, and six police and special forces on the other. also involved. Drones could be heard number of reported fatalities on both who co-chair a mediation group that has confirmed and denounced by Russia New Caledonians voted against independence in the flying over Stepanakert. sides above 240, including more than failed to bring about a political resolu- and France. referendum two years ago, with “no” securing about 57 Azerbaijan said Ganja was under fire, 30 civilians. Azerbaijan on Sunday said tion to the conflict-have called for an The Britain-based Syrian percent. But the result marked a shift towards pro-inde- including from areas outside of two more civilians had been killed in immediate halt to the fighting. Observatory for Human Rights, a moni- pendence sympathies, raising campaigners’ hopes that Karabakh. “Armenian forces struck shelling on the southern town of Armenia has said it is “ready to toring group, says more than 70 Turkey- this time it could manage to break free. —AFP Ganja with rockets from Armenian terri- Beylagan, where a journalist working engage” with mediators but Azerbaijan- backed fighters have been killed in the .