Ruslan Rehimov
06 October 2020•Update: 07 October 2020
BAKU, Azerbaijan
Armenian forces reportedly launched a missile attack Tuesday on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline amid a regional conflict with Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani prosecutors said Armenian forces carried out the attack, that was prevented by the Azerbaijani army, on the pipeline in Yevlah at around 9 p.m. local time (0500GMT).
The BTC pipeline delivers Azeri light crude oil -- mainly from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field -- through Georgia to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan for export via tankers.
Azerbaijan described the attack as a "terrorist act" and highlighted the pipeline's important role in Europe's energy security.
Ongoing clashes began Sept. 27, when Armenian forces targeted civilian Azerbaijani settlements and military positions in the region, leading to casualties.
Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.
Multiple UN resolutions, as well as international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the invading forces.
The OSCE Minsk Group -- co-chaired by France, Russia and the US -- was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but to no avail. A cease-fire, however, was reached in 1994.
Many world powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged an immediate cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense.
