Azerbaijan: Parliament declares martial law in several regions from September 28 /update 1

Event

The Azerbaijani parliament has declared that martial law is to go into effect in the regions of Baku, Ganja, Absheron, Beylagan, Agdam, Barda, Tartar, Gadabay, Tovuz, Agstafa, and Gazakh from 00:00 (local time) on Monday, September 28. From then, a 21:00 to 06:00 curfew will be in effect in the affected regions, with residents requiring permits to leave their homes during curfew hours. The decision comes following the declaration of a state of war in the regions on Sunday, September 27, following a day of clashes with Armenian and Armenian separatist forces loyal to the self-declared Republic of Artsakh in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Hostilities started on Sunday when Azerbaijani forces reportedly carried out strikes on civilian settlements in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, including the regional capital Stepanakert, causing at least two civilian fatalities. Residents of the area have been instructed to seek refuge in shelters. Armenian officials claimed that several Azerbaijani aircraft had been shot down in response, with Azerbaijani officials confirming some material losses. Following the separatist retaliation, Azerbaijan has launched what it claims to be a 'counter-offensive' in response to the strikes. Both sides have reported casualties, with unverified footage claiming to show the destruction of a number of Azerbaijani armored vehicles, and Armenian officials stating that 16 servicemen had been killed as of 19:00, with more than 100 others injured. Martial law and military mobilization have been declared in Armenia and in the Republic of Artsakh.

Further clashes in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region are highly likely over the near term. Clashes along the length of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border outside the Nagorno-Karabakh region cannot be ruled out. A heightened security presence and a disruption to transportation are expected.

Context

Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan have a long-standing dispute over the possession of Nagorno-Karabakh, home to some 150,000 inhabitants (mostly ethnic Armenians) and located in the west of Azerbaijan. This issue has fueled tensions between the two countries since 1988; some 30,000 people were killed in fighting from 1990 to 1994. The two countries declared another ceasefire in April 2016 after the region experienced four days of violent clashes that left hundreds dead.

Tensions between the two countries remain high and each side frequently accuses the other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Advice

Western governments generally advise their citizens against all travel to Nagorno-Karabakh and the Azerbaijan-Armenia border. Those in Armenia are advised to monitor developments and adhere to instructions issued by local authorities and their home governments.