Reports indicate that Azerbaijan forces are pushing further into the enclave and are continuing to make gains in the fight.
Cities shelled
Shelling was reported in Stepankert, the capital of the enclave. Authorities claimed a woman and her two grand-children were killed in a house. Attacks were also reported in the city of Shushi, a city just nine miles to the south. Azeri forces have been closing in on the city.. Sushi is claimed to be a strategic location. Last week the president of the Republic of Artsakh, the name assigned to the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh said that whoever controlled Sushi controls Artsakh.
At least 1,000 people have been killed in and around Nagorno-Karabakh since war ended there in 1994. The latest outbreak of violence started on Sept. 27. The enclave is internationally recognized as party of Azerbaijan but it is populated and controlled by mainly ethnic Armenians backed by Armenia since the end of the war.
Azerbaijan denies shelling
Throughout the fighting Azerbaijan has denied it has ever targeted civilian areas. However, there is ample evidence such areas have been hit. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has accused Armenia of shelling Tartar, an Azeri city in which dozens were reported killed last week.
Ceasefires fail
Last week the two sides had agreed not to target residential areas. However, almost immediately violations of the agreement were reported. Diplomatic efforts have failed as at lest three attempted ceasefires have already not held.
Azerbaijan wants Armenia to withdraw military from Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev, the Azeri president has called up Armenia to withdraw all its troops from within Azeri territory and this would include Nagorno-Karabakh. A UN human rights official reported last week that already 90,000 ethnic Armenians had already fled Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia. The total population of the enclave is thought to be about 150,000. It appears likely that the enclave would come under Azeri control soon.
Casualties
Nagorno-Karabakh indicates that as of Monday, 1,177 of its ethnic Armenian soldiers had been killed since fighting broke out on September 27. Dozens of civilians have died of both sides. Azerbaijan has not yet reported on its casualties. Russia has estimated the total death toll as coming close to 5,000.
