Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict 2020: UN Urges Immediate End To Fight As Fresh Clash Kills Over 18 Civilians [VIDEO]

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region took a violent turn when a clash broke out between the neighbors, leading to many casualties. Both sides accuse each other of starting the attack.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has a long history. The two former Soviet neighbors even fought a war over the territory, which is within the borders of Azerbaijan. The ear ended in 1994 as Russia acted as a broker, however, since then, clashes between the military from both the countries are not uncommon.

The recent clash, which is said to have left more than 18 civilians dead, is the recent and one of the deadliest skirmishes between the two countries. While Armenia said that it only reacted to the missile attack launched by Azerbaijan on Sunday, the latter said that the clash was instigated from the other side.

The Armenian government imposed martial law throughout the country amid the unrest and also ordered a general military mobilization. The Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that in response to the alleged firing from Azerbaijan, the Armenian military has "shot down 2 helicopters & 3 UAVs, destroyed 3 tanks."

Artak Beglaryan, an official from the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh that controls the disputed region, accused Azerbaijan of intentionally targeting civilian objects. The Republic of Artsakh is a de facto independent Armenian state, which is not yet recognized internationally.

Beglaryan further said that dozens of people have been left wounded on the Armenian side and there is huge infrastructural damage.

On the other hand, Azerbaijan has accused Armemis of triggering the flare-up.

"There are reports of dead and wounded among civilians and military servicemen. Extensive damage has been inflicted on many homes and civilian infrastructure," tweeted Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday urged both the countries to end the clash in the disputed region on an immediate basis. While condemning the use of arms and force leading to civilian deaths, Guterres said that Armenia and Azerbaijan should resort to “meaningful negotiations” immediately to de-escalate tensions in the region.