UN Security Council calls for Karabakh clashes to end 'immediately'

An Armenian soldier fires an artillery during fighting with Azerbaijan's forces in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, September 29, 2020. /Defense Ministry of Armenia

The UN Security Council on Tuesday called on Armenian and Azerbaijani forces to "immediately stop fighting" over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, after three days of deadly clashes.

The council's 15 members "voiced support for the call by the Secretary General on the sides to immediately stop fighting, de-escalate tensions and return to meaningful negotiations without delay," read a statement adopted unanimously during emergency talks on the conflict.

The council members said they "strongly condemn the use of force and regret the loss of life and the toll on the civilian population" in the region.

In the short statement, the council expressed concern over "reports of large scale military actions along the Line of Contact" in the conflict zone.

The council affirmed its "full support" for the central role of the co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Minsk Group (the U.S., Russia and France), who have mediated peace efforts.

It urged all parties to work closely with the co-chairs "for an urgent resumption of dialogue without preconditions."

Diplomats said the text, which was approved at the end of a meeting that lasted about an hour, was in fact proposed by the three co-chairs of the OSCE's Minsk Group, facilitating its adoption.

A man holds an ammunition part following what locals say was a recent shelling by Azerbaijani forces, in the town of Martuni in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, September 28, 2020. /Foreign Ministry of Armenia

Armenian and Azerbaijan have been locked for decades in a territorial dispute over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes along the borders.

Clashes erupted on Sunday was the latest. The two sides blamed each other for sparking fierce conflicts that have since caused nearly 100 confirmed deaths. Deadly fighting had flared in 2016 and earlier this year.

The latest death happened on Tuesday, according to the Armenian side which accused Turkey of shooting down one of its warplanes and killed its pilot during heavy fighting with Turkey's ally Azerbaijan.

"An Armenian SU-25 aircraft has been shot down by a Turkish F-16 warplane ... which flew from Azerbaijan's territory," Armenian defense ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan wrote on Facebook, adding that the Armenian pilot "has heroically died."

Ankara fiercely denied the claim, saying it was "absolutely untrue."

"Armenia should withdraw from the territories under its occupation instead of resorting to cheap propaganda tricks," Turkey's communications director Fahrettin Altun said on Tuesday in response.

(With input from AFP)