Azerbaijan, Armenia report shelling of cities despite truce

Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of attacking large cities overnight in violation of the cease-fire brokered by Russia to end to the worst outbreak of hostilities in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region

Azerbaijan Armenia (IHA)

Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of attacking large cities overnight in violation of the cease-fire deal brokered by Russia that seeks to end the worst outbreak of hostilities in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The Azerbaijani authorities said Sunday that nine civilians have been killed and over 30 wounded after Armenian forces fired missiles overnight on Ganja, Azerbaijan's second-largest city, and hit a residential building. According to Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's office, the city of Mingachevir also came under missile attacks early Sunday.

Nagorno-Karabakh's military officials on Sunday denied attacking Ganja and said the territory's army is observing the cease-fire. They added that Azerbaijani forces shelled Stepanakert, the region's capital, and other towns during the night in violation of the truce.

The recent bout of fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces started Sept. 27 and left hundreds of people dead in the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh since a separatist war there ended in 1994. The region lies in Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia.