Balanced News: Azerbaijan launches military operation targeting Armenian positions

Azerbaijan has launched a military operation targeting Armenian positions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, resulting in civilian casualties and heavy shelling. This has raised concerns about a potential full-scale war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, who previously fought for six weeks in 2020. Azerbaijan claims the operation is an “anti-terrorist operation” and only targets legitimate military assets, but ethnic Armenian officials report intense shelling in the region. There are suspicions that the operation may be an attempt by Azerbaijan’s President to force ethnic Armenians to leave the area. The conflict comes amid tensions between Armenia and Russia, with Armenia accusing Russian peacekeepers of failing to keep the road to Armenia open.