Several dozens of troops have been killed in a battle between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that 49 of his country’s servicemen were killed in midnight battles.
Over the period of three decades, the two countries have fought two wars and had several minor conflicts.
Russia claimed to have mediated a truce for the newest outbreak, but Armenia said merely that the violence had ceased, not that it had totally halted.
The Nagorno-Karabakh territory lies at the heart of the conflict. It is definitely part of Azerbaijan, according to internationally recognised borders, but is populated by ethnic Armenians.
The cultural split extends beyond politics and into religion: Armenia is predominantly Christian, whilst Azerbaijan is predominantly Muslim.
Both countries hold the other responsible for the new outbreak of violence.
Armenia stated that its neighbour had bombarded many towns along the border and that it had reacted in kind. Azerbaijan claimed that its military posts were attacked first.
The fighting raged on Monday night until Moscow announced a quick truce that would take effect early Tuesday morning.
However, Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan stated that “the intensity of hostilities has dropped, but Azerbaijani strikes on one or two fronts continue.”
Azerbaijan is believed to have suffered losses as well, but has not publicly stated the number of injured or killed.
