Civilian losses rise in indiscriminate Armenian attacks

BAKU

Armenia deliberately and non-discriminately targets the civilian settlements, Azerbaijani chief prosecutor said in a statement.

Since Sept. 27, Azerbaijan's civilian casualties rose to 27, while 141 have been wounded in Armenian attacks on civilian settlements.

Border clashes broke out on Sept. 27, when Armenian forces targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, leading to casualties. Azerbaijan's parliament declared a state of war in some of its cities and regions following Armenia's border violations and attacks in the occupied Upper Karabakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, region.

On Sept. 28, Azerbaijan declared partial military mobilization amid the clashes.

Upper Karabakh conflict

Relations between the two former Soviet nations have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, an internationally recognized Azerbaijani territory.

Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions and many international organizations demand the occupying forces' withdrawal.

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 agreed upon in 1994.

Among others, France, Russia, and NATO have urged an immediate halt to clashes in the occupied region.

* Written by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara