Armenia releases materials of Turkey's mercenaries participation in Nagorno-Karabakh

The special services of Armenia published materials on the participation in the hostilities of the Turkish side and mercenaries.

The National Security Service of Armenia has disseminated a video in which it presents a recording of talks between mercenaries from the Middle East fighting on the Azerbaijani side. Audio recordings are accompanied by captions in Armenian, Russian and English. In the same video, the facts available to the Armenian special services about the participation of the Turkish side in the hostilities are presented.

Since Sept. 27, large-scale military operations have continued around Nagorno-Karabakh and on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia. More than 150 people have been killed, both military servicemen and civilians among them. There are thousands of wounded.

On Thursday, the leaders of France, Russia, and the United States, co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which was set up in 1992 to mediate in the decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to stop the violence and return to negotiations to find a resolution.

Turkey has thrown its firm support behind Azerbaijan, saying it is ready to do whatever is necessary to eject Armenian forces from the region. That support has included supplying Syrian mercenaries to the front lines, according to Russia, France, Iran and independent observers including the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Armenia has also repeatedly accused Turkey of providing Azeri forces with air support, an accusation Ankara denies.

Far-right MHP leaders condemns Armenia, calls for Nakhchivan to become part of Azerbaijan

It is necessary for the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an Azerbaijani exclave bordering Armenia, to become part of Republic of Azerbaijan, the leader of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday.

Armenia’s rocket attack on Ganja, one of Azerbaijan’s largest towns, is a  "denial and blatant violation of international law,’’ Bahçeli said on Twitter.

One civilian has been killed and four wounded in an Armenian attack on Ganja on Sunday, according to Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry. Armenia has denied the attack.

Bahçeli condemned Armenia as a "killer, terror state’’ and said the latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh called for "the inclusion of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic’’ in Azebaijan.

Armenia lodges request to ECHR for applying interim measure against Turkey

The Armenian government has applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) requesting an interim measure against Turkey for its intervention into Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenpress reported.

“In particular, taking into account Turkey’s multifaceted support to the attacks of Azerbaijan on the civilian population and facilities of the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia, which are accompanied by gross violations of international humanitarian law and the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as given Turkey’s constant participation to the military operations, Armenia on its own behalf and on behalf of the Republic of Artsakh has submitted a request to apply an interim measure, envisaged by Rule 39 of its Rules of Court, against Turkey," the Armenian government said in a statement.

Azerbaijan ‘liberates’ Jebrail from Armenia, says Turkish Defence Ministry

Azerbaijan has claimed it has captured Jebrail, a small town in the southern foothills of the Nagorno Karabakh region, the Turkish Defence Ministry announced on Sunday, citing Azeri sources.

The town’s capture follows that of other critical towns of Merjanli, Maralyan and Sheybey in the breakaway region, where the latest bout of conflict has entered its first week, the ministry said.

Nagorno-Karabakh president orders to stop firing at Ganja military bases to avoid civilian casualities

Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan said he had ordered the military to cease fire at military facilities in Ganja to avoid civilian casualities.

“At my orders, today the Defense Army delivered several rocket strikes with the purpose of neutralising military facilities deployed in the city of Ganja. As of this moment, I have ordered to cease the fire, in order to avoid innocent victims among the civilian population. In the event of the adversary not drawing appropriate conclusions we will continue proportionate and powerful strikes by dismantling and breaking apart the enemy’s army and rear. We are resolute in our actions until the end,” Harutyunyan said.

Over 72 Syrian mercenaries killed in Nagorno-Karabakh - observatory

The death toll of the Turkish-backed Syrian mercenaries who were sent to frontlines in Nagorno-Karabakh has risen to 72, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

"On the other hand, the Turkish government is preparing a new batch of Syrian fighters to be sent to Azerbaijan in the next few days," SOHR said.

Some 36 of the Syrian fighters were killed in the last 48 hours, it said.

Syria warns Azerbaijan to not fall into Turkish trap’, calls on ceasefire

Syria has warned the Azerbaijani authorities not to fall into the “trap of the Turkish plan” and to respond to initiatives calling for calm.

Syrian Military of Foreign Affairs warned against “blatant Turkish interference in the conflict” between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which “aims to inflame the situation in line with the behavior of the Turkish regime in creating tensions and stoking the fire of sedition in more than one place in the world.”

“The Syrian Arab Republic expresses deep regret at the confrontations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which claimed the lives of a large number of both sides.”

Turkey condemns Armenia's Ganja shelling

Turkish Foreign Ministry said Armenia's targetting of civilian population in Ganja, that left a civilian killed and four more injured, was undermining international laws.

"The current attacks of Armenia targeting the civilian population in Ganja, the second largest city of Azerbaijan, are a new manifestation of Armenia's unlawful attitude. We condemn these attacks," the ministry said in a statement.

One civilian killed, at least four wounded in Azerbaijan's Ganja

A civilians was killed and at least four more were injured due to shelling of the Azerbaijani city of Ganja.

Rescue work is underway to remove people left under the rubble of destroyed buildings, state television AzTV reported.

Armenia says Turkey played very instrumental role in recruitment process of mercenaries

Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Avet Adonts said Turkey actively participated in recruitment of foreign mercenaries fighting in support of Azerbaijan.

"There were people, media outlets, even countries questioning those reports now have it confirmed. Not only jihadist but different foreign terrorist fighters from the northern part of Syria have been recruited and they have arriving in Azerbaijan and Turkey played very instrumental role in this recruitment process," Adonts said in an interview with Indian media outlet WIONEWS.

Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of committing "war crimes against civilians"

Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan accused Azerbaijan of bombing civilian positions in Stepanakert, capital of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, with long-range missiles and aircraft.

"Civilian settlements, including #Stepanakert, capital of #NagornoKarabakh, are under massive attack. Missile & air attacks continue, targeting civilians. These #warcrimes committed by Azerbaijan demonstrate the unconcealed existential physical security threat to ppl of #Artsakh," Mnatsakanyan said on Twitter.

Merkel says she supports OSCE Minsk Group's ceasefire call

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone to discuss the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Merkel stressed the need for a ceasefire and the resumption of the peace process according to the Oct. 1 statement of the leaders of the Minsk Group co-chairing countries. 

“We call on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately… without putting forward preliminary conditions to resume negotiations on the essence of the settlement with the assistance of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs," Merkel said.

Aliyev says Turkey's stance shows Azerbaijan not alone

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said that Turkey's stance and comments on attacks by Armenia showed that his country is not alone in its just cause, state-run Anadolu reported.

"Your clear remarks on the issue [of Upper Karabakh dispute] once again showed that Azerbaijan is not alone in its just cause," Aliyev said in an open letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Tehran respects Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, chief of staff of Iranian president says

Chief of Staff of the President of Iran, Mahmoud Vaezi, said Tehran supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and the end of the Armenian occupation will be a guarantee of stability in the region.

“Iran’s position on Azerbaijan has always remained open and transparent. We have always respected and recognised the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. We believe that ending the occupation will ensure stability in the region, ”Vaezi said.

Azerbaijan defence ministry says settlements undergo intensive shelling

Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said the positions of the Azerbaijani army units and settlements had been subjected to intensive shelling from the military unit deployed in Ballica, north of Khankendi.

“Despite several warnings to the enemy through the representatives of international organisations, this is still going on. We once again warn the enemy that we will take adequate measures against the enemy positions in Ballica,” the ministry said.

Nagorno Karabakh Foreign Ministry says Azerbaijan tracks journalists on field

Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Azerbaijan had formed special groups that track the movements of journalists covering the clashes and shelled them.

“The Azerbaijani army took concrete action and started shelling both local journalists and journalists who arrived from Armenia and from abroad,” the ministry said.

“Taking into account the current situation, in particular the real direct threat to the physical safety and life of journalists, including foreign citizens, it was decided to temporarily move them to a new information center located in a safe place.”

At least four journalists were injured on Oct. 1 in a shelling attack in the town of Khojavend, known locally as Martuni, in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to international media reports.

In a tweet, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said Azerbaijan was responsible for the shelling attack. In a statement, the Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed the Armenian government for facilitating journalists’ travel into the area, saying it put them at risk.

The scale of the aggression of Azerbaijan and Turkey is unprecedented - Armenian PM

The scale of the aggression of Azerbaijan and Turkey is unprecedented, said prime minister of Armenia on Saturday.

Nikol Pashinyan, in a live broadcast, spoke to the public stated that hundreds of tanks, military equipment, missiles, planes, UAVs attack on Karabakh posts. According to local news gathering platform jam-news.net, Pashinyan also said Turkey is participating in hostilities and the Turkish command is involved in the conduct of battles.

Pashingyan said both mercenaries and militants from the Middle East are involved in the conflict.

Madaghis village liberated from Armenian occupation - Aliyev

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev has announced the final liberation from Armenian occupation of the village of Madaghis in the Agderin (Mardakert) region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Today, the army of Azerbaijan has raised the flag of Azerbaijan in Madaghis,’’ Aliyev said on Twitter. “Madaghis is ours. Karabakh is Azerbaijan.’’

Located 30 kilometres north-west of the left bank of the river Tartar in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Madaghis is the site of the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes in the decades-long conflict between the two countries.

Georgia closes airspace to military flights heading to Armenia, Azerbaijan

Georgia has temporarily suspended the issuance of permits for transiting air or land military cargo through its territory in the direction Azerbaijan and Armenia, citing the escalating conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“It is in our common interests to stop the armed confrontation and restore peace in the region as soon as possible,’’ the press service of the Georgian government said in a statement issued on Saturday.

The country has served as a route for Turkish resupply flights to Azerbaijan in its ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia over the landlocked region of the South Caucasus.