Azerbaijan defense forces report destroying Armenian troops’ command post (VIDEO)

The Azerbaijan Defense Ministry has released footage purporting to show a counterattack by its military on an Armenian troops’ command position.

LIVE UPDATES: Escalation of hostilities in disputed Nagorny-Karabakh

The video released on Monday by Azerbaijan’s MoD is said to show an Armenian troops’ command post being hit by artillery fire. A massive explosion follows, and the facility is seen engulfed in flames with a vast plume of smoke rising from it.

The Azerbaijan Defense Ministry claims the facility has been destroyed.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict escalated sharply on the night of April 2 with fierce fighting. The parties involved have accused each other of violating the truce on the line of contact, previously set by the Minsk Group spearheading the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorny-Karabakh began in February 1988, when the region declared its autonomy from Azerbaijan. In September 1991, the establishment of the Nagorny-Karabakh Republic (NKR) was announced. A subsequent military conflict followed, resulting in the loss of control over Nagorny-Karabakh by Azerbaijan.

The negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group have been in progress since 1992. Azerbaijan insists on preserving its territorial integrity, as Nagorny-Karabakh formally remains part of Azerbaijan’s territory. Armenia protects the interests of the breakaway republic, which is not taking part in the negotiations.