The two nations, who were both formerly a part of the Soviet Union, have fought each other numerous times in the past 35 years over the sovereignty of Nagorno-Karabakh.
New Delhi: The only land path connecting Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, the Lachin Corridor, has been blocked by a checkpoint, established by Azerbaijan recently. This action was followed by accusations of border gunfire by both Azeri and Armenian soldiers. Rival South Caucasus nations Armenia and Azerbaijan have previously on April 11, 2023, accused one another of starting a deadly conflict that left seven troops dead near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory.
Over the last 35 years, the two countries, who were both once parts of the erstwhile Soviet Union, have engaged in a number of clashes over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is considered internationally as belonging to Azerbaijan but is home to a majority-ethnic Armenian community.
The Lachin Corridor is a crucial route into Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia that passes through Azeri territory. The Azeri military ministry said, as per The Guardian, that three servicemen had perished in combat near this route. According to the Armenian defence ministry, six soldiers were injured and four servicemen died.
A hilly region in the South Caucasus, Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region known to Armenians as Artsakh.
After the Russian Empire fell in 1917, it was claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia, and it has been a source of conflict ever since.
Although the territory is recognised internationally as belonging to oil-rich Azerbaijan, most of its residents are ethnic Armenians, and they have their own government. This government has close ties with Armenia but is unrecognised by it and other UN member states.
Armenians, who are majorly Christians, assert a lengthy history of domination in the region that dates back centuries before Christ.
The predominantly Muslim nation of Azerbaijan also ties its historical identity to the region. It accuses the Armenians of forcing Azeris, who resided nearby in the 1990s, out. It suggests ethnic Armenians obtain Azeri passports or leave because it wants to seize complete control of the enclave.
The enclave has been ruled by Persians, Turks, Russians, Ottomans, and Soviets. Armenia submitted to Bolshevik rule when Azerbaijan fell under their authority, which ushered in the Sovietization of the whole Caucasus.
With its borders modified to incorporate as many Armenians as possible, Karabakh continued to be an autonomous region inside the Azeri Soviet Socialist Republic. The “Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast” was its name, reported Al Jazeera.
The First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988–1994) between Armenians and their Azeri neighbours broke out when the Soviet Union fell apart. Over a million people were displaced, and over 30,000 people were murdered, as per media reports.
Armenians, after the first war, control the majority of Karabakh and additional land surrounding Karabakh, and Azerbaijan lost some of its territory. Azerbaijan pledged to regain control of the area.
After decades of conflict, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive in 2020 that quickly overcame Armenian fortifications. It came to be known as the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. In the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan, supported by Turkey, triumphed decisively and reclaimed some of Karabakh.
https://www.news9live.com/knowledge/decades-of-conflict-in-nagorno-karabakh-what-is-it-and-why-armenia-and-azerbaijan-fight-over-the-region-au2114-2119562