Armenian, Azeri forces battle again, 21 killed

Yerevan/Baku

At least 21 people were killed yesterday in the second day of heavy clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh that reportedly involved airpower, missiles and heavy armour. The fiercest fighting in years between the two former Soviet republics has revived concern over stability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets.

Any move to the all-out conflict could drag in major regional powers Russia and Turkey. Moscow has a defense alliance with Armenia, while Ankara backs its ethnic Turkic kin in Azerbaijan. Angela Frangyan, a documentary filmmaker living in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital Stepanakert, said residents had taken cover in bomb shelters and constant shelling could be heard.

All shops were closed and hardly anyone was in the streets, she said. Armenia’s parliament condemned what it said was a “full-scale military attack” by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh that was receiving Turkey’s help, adding Ankara’s involvement could risk destabilizing the region. Azerbaijan denied Turkey was taking part in the fighting.