Nagorno-Karabakh flare up: Azerbaijan says it has ‘liberated’ villages within breakaway region, Armenia denies Baku's claims

Azerbaijan said on Sunday that it captured several strategic sites, and six villages, during its latest offensive against ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia said its rival had exaggerated its successes.

Baku says it “liberated” six “occupied” villages in the disputed enclave during the skirmishes on Sunday. Azeri troops have also seized several strategically important hilltops outside the border of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azeri Defense Ministry alleged, adding that the military action will continue.

The claim was disputed by the Armenian side, which said the statement did not reflect the reality on the ground and was merely “a provocation of Azeri propaganda.”

The self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has been outside of Baku’s control since the late 1980s, with Yerevan providing security assistance and other forms of support to the predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave.

Hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia resumed on Sunday morning, with Azerbaijan launching what it described as a “counteroffensive operation” against the breakaway region.

Earlier, Armenia released footage of what it said were Azeri tanks being damaged during the Sunday border clashes, and said at least two Azeri helicopters and three drones have been shot down. Azerbaijan denied suffering any losses during the operation.

Officials in Nagorno-Karabakh said numerous civilians have been hurt amid the clashes.

The military of the disputed region said they had destroyed four of Azerbaijan's helicopters, 15 drones and 10 tanks as it repelled the attack on Sunday.

The most recent previous flareup in Nagorno-Karabakh took place in July, with Armenia and Azerbaijan blaming each other for breaking a ceasefire.

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