The shelling of Stepanakert

Deadly fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues in Nagorno-Karabakh

In Nagorno-Karabakh, renewed fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia is continuing for the ninth consecutive day. On September 27, both sides accused each other of provocations and launching offensives along the “line of contact.” In recent days, Stepanakert, the administrative center of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, has been shelled repeatedly. Missile strikes have damaged residential buildings, schools, and kindergartens, according to the Armenian government’s information center. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry reports that Armenia is shelling cities and villages on its territory. At the same time, the Armenian military says that it’s only attacking military targets. Both sides have suffered casualties among soldiers and civilians.

More Backstory

The military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh dates back to the late 1980s. As the Soviet Union collapsed, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (an area home predominantly to ethnic Armenians) seceded from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1994, Azerbaijan signed an armistice and ceasefire agreement with Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. That said, years of diplomatic efforts have failed to bring a lasting resolution to the conflict.