July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes

The 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes began on 12 July 2020. Initial clashes occurred near Movses in Tavush Province of Armenia, and Ağdam in Tovuz District of Azerbaijan. The skirmishes continued on 13 July and continued with varying intensity, injuring many, and killing at least 17 military and one civilian. Hostilities between the two sides resumed on 27 September 2020, this time in Nagorno-Karabakh. This ultimately escalated to the scale of full-on warfare, resulting in the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war.

About July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes in brief

Summary July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashesThe 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes began on 12 July 2020. Initial clashes occurred near Movses in Tavush Province of Armenia, and Ağdam in Tovuz District of Azerbaijan. The skirmishes continued on 13 July and continued with varying intensity, injuring many, and killing at least 17 military and one civilian. Hostilities between the two sides resumed on 27 September 2020, this time in Nagorno-Karabakh and not in the same areas as the July clashes. This ultimately escalated to the scale of full-on warfare, resulting in the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war. Both sides accused each other of reigniting the conflict, which erupted near the Ganja gap, a strategic route that serves as an energy and transport corridor for Azerbaijan. A Russian-brokered ceasefire, the Bishkek Protocol, was signed in May 1994, but numerous violations of the ceasefire have occurred since then. The primary matter of contention between the warring sides is the NagornoKarabak conflict that escalated into the First Nagorno – Karabak War between 1988 and 1994, between the majority ethnic Armenians and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Armenians backed by Armenia. Skirmishes have also spilled over to the Armenian and Azerbaijani state border, with the 2012, 2014 and 2018 border clashes being prominent. The site of the main skirmishes lies opposite to Armenia’s Tavush province, in Azerbaijan’s northwestern and borderline territories, along the routes of the Baku–Tbilisi–Akhalkalaki–Kars railway, Baku Supsa Pipeline, and South Caucasus Pipeline. The Southern Gas Corridor is a major pipeline that carries natural gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey and Europe through Georgia, located 78 kilometers west of the town ofTovuz.

The exact cause of the initial skirmishes has been unclear, with conflicting reports as to whether it was caused by the Armenian Armed Forces or by the Azerbaijan Armed Forces. Armenia’s ex-president Robert Kocharyan claimed that the skirmishes was provoked by Armenia, while Russian minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov accused Armenia of reviving the old border checkpoint located 15 kilometres from the Azerbaijan export pipelines. In response to statements by Stepanyan regarding the UAZ allegations, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence pointed out that the AzerbaiJani Army wanted to cross the border with cars, but it would not do so with armored vehicles, and pointed out the fact that the border of Armenia is protected with the fact of adequate measures taken, and he was repulsed with losses. In a statement about the incident at 20:20, the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry said that the enemy was hit with adequate measures, but he was not killed. According to the statement, the Armenian side said that he was killed by a UAZ vehicle, which was destroyed shortly after the incident. The statement also said that after the warning of the Armenian. side, the Azerbai Jazani servicemen left their vehicle and returned to their position. At 13: 45, the servicemen of the AzerbaijANI Armed Forces attempted to try to occupy the border position of Armenia.