Azerbaijan has taken control of several strategic areas in Karabakh, the army said Wednesday.
The Azerbaijani army said it conducted the operation dubbed "Revenge" in response to the "terrorist actions of illegal Armenian armed groups on the territory of Azerbaijan," which claimed the life of an Azerbaijani soldier.
Fighting erupted around the territory, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, in recent days, with Baku claiming to have killed four separatist soldiers and wounded 15 more.
On Wednesday, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Karabakh troops targeted Azerbaijani army positions in the district of Lachin, which is under the supervision of the Russian peacekeeping force, killing an Azerbaijani conscript.
Meanwhile, Armenian separatists declared a partial mobilization.
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.
In January 2021, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It also included the establishment of a trilateral working group in Nagorno-Karabakh.