Azerbaijan declares partial military mobilisation after clashes with Armenia

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on mobilisation on the second day of clashes. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

BAKU/YEREVAN (REUTERS) - Azerbaijan declared a partial military mobilisation on Monday (Sept 28) following clashes with Armenian forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on mobilisation on the second day of clashes, which the two sides, which fought a war over Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s, blame on each other and in which both have reported fatalities.

Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that is inside Azerbaijan but run by ethnic Armenians, declared martial law and mobilised their male populations on Sunday.

Armenian and Azeri forces exchanged fierce fire for the second day on Monday morning, with both sides accusing each other of using heavy artillery.

The outbreak of fighting over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is inside Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenians, is the fiercest since 2016.

The breakaway territory reported 15 more of its troops had been killed. It said it had recovered some territory it had lost control of on Sunday, and said Azerbaijan had been using heavy artillery to shell areas.

Azerbaijan's defence ministry said Armenian forces were shelling the town of Terter.

Nagorno-Karabakh had said on Sunday that 16 of its servicemen had been killed and more than 100 wounded after Azerbaijan launched an air and artillery attack.

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