Azerbaijan announces control of the second largest city in Karabakh, and Armenia denies it

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced today that his country’s forces have tightened control over the strategic city of Shusha in the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region, but Armenian officials deny this.

RT website quoted Aliyev as saying in a televised speech that “the Azerbaijani flag is flying over Shusha,” adding Shusha has been liberated. I congratulate the entire Azerbaijani people for this achievement.

Aliyev pointed out that since the beginning of the current round of escalation in Karabakh, the Azerbaijani forces have tightened their control over more than 200 towns in the disputed area, stressing that “the war will continue until complete victory.

On the other hand, Armenian officials denied the declaration of  the Azerbaijani President of seizing control of the city, which lies 15 kilometers south of Stepanakert, the capital and largest city of Karabakh province.

Earlier in the day, the Armenian Ministry of Defense confirmed that violent and decisive battles are taking place in order to control the strategic town, which was previously described by the President of the internationally unrecognized Karabakh Republic, Aryk Harutyunyan, as the heart of Armenians.

It is noteworthy that armed clashes have erupted between the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces since the 27th of last September on the line of contact in Nagorno Karabakh and adjacent areas. The two regions are witnessing the dangerous escalation between the two parties in nearly three decades, amid mutual accusations of starting the fighting.

Inas Abdulkareem