Nagorno-Karabakh calls on international community to condemn Azerbaijan's actions

The shelling of dwelling settlements of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan keeps people in suspense, the MPs of the National Assembly (Parliament) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the unrecognized republic have stated. They called on the international community to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh's right to independence.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in recent days the situation on the Azerbaijani-Nagorno-Karabakh border has escalated. The Karabakh Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that on March 8, Azerbaijani militaries shelled the village of Khramort from grenade launchers. Azerbaijan objected stating that militaries had only opened a return fire, but hadn't shelled the village. The next day, the Karabakh MoD stated that Azerbaijani militaries had opened a mortar fire in the direction of the village of Khnushinak. A Khramort villager reported shelling from Azerbaijani military posts that lasted for several hours. On March 10, Azerbaijani militaries fired about 23 mortar shells in the direction of the village of Khramort, the Karabakh MoD stated. A villager was wounded in his back when he was in the yard of his house.

"In the past few days, tensions in the border settlements of Artsakh (the self-name of Nagorno-Karabakh) have gained new momentum," the Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament asserts in its statement.

It is noted that Azerbaijan's actions keep residents of Nagorno-Karabakh in constant tension and undermine the respect for the mission of Russian peacemakers.

Also, the Karabakh MPs have condemned "the obstruction of repair works on the only gas pipeline that provides Artsakh with natural gas."