TVER, Russia – The President of Azerbaijan claimed Sunday that his armed forces had captured a strategically important mountain town in Nagorno-Karabakh, which, if confirmed, would make Armenia’s defense of the separatist region significantly more difficult.
Known to Azerbaijanis as Shusha and Armenians as Shushi, the city is at an impressive height overlooking several mountain valleys and the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, Stepanakert, and is considered the fulcrum for military control of the region.
Conquering the city would also indicate that Azerbaijan crossed a main road between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but is home to ethnic Armenians.
“We won this victory on the battlefield, not at the negotiating table,” said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday. “I have often said that, despite what has been said, there are military solutions to this conflict.”
Officials in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh denied the city had been captured and said the fierce fighting would continue.
Located high in the mountains and bordered by sheer cliffs, the city is a natural fortress and was also a military prize in the Nagorno-Karabakh war that began in the late 1980s. In the years that followed, Armenia achieved a number of territorial gains and displaced nearly a million Azerbaijanis from their homes. The conflict ended in 1994 with a ceasefire, but without a settlement.
“Despite the fact that there is a lot of destruction in the city, the fortified city is resisting attacks by the enemy,” said the Nagorno-Karabakh separatist government in a statement released on Sunday.
The fact that the fighting has reached the main road connecting Armenia with the Armenian cities in Nagorno-Karabakh is a bad sign for the Armenian side. The important route is called the Lachin Corridor.
The road, paved two decades ago with contributions from the Armenian diaspora in southern California, is vital in the defense of Nagorno-Karabakh as military supplies can come in via serpentines over a mountain pass from Armenia. A side street was also attacked.
On Sunday, Armenian officials also released photos of recent destruction in Stepanakert, showing broken windows, collapsed roofs and the tail fin of a missile that appears to have caused the damage. Since the fighting began on September 27, both sides have shelled civilian areas and at least 1,000 people, including civilians, have been killed.
The fighting continued despite repeated attempts by Russia, France and the United States to contribute to a lasting ceasefire. Much of the concern stems from the potential of the conflict to attract regional powers like Russia, Turkey and Iran. Turkey has openly supported Azerbaijan while Russia has a mutual defense treaty with Armenia, although Moscow says it will only take effect if the violence spreads to recognized Armenian territory. Iran has said stray Azerbaijani ordnance has fallen on the side of a Nagorno-Karabakh border.
On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Azerbaijan on conquering the mountain city.
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