Armenia, Azerbaijan accuse each other of new attacks after ceasefire

Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan trade accusations of new attacks just after a ceasefire goes into effect to end nearly two weeks of heavy fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The two sides agreed to implement the ceasefire from noon on Saturday, after 11 hours of talks in Moscow, but it took only minutes after the deadline for their forces to claim new attacks.

"A ceasefire is announced from 12 hours 00 minutes on October 10 on humanitarian grounds," said Lavrov early on Saturday after hours of Moscow-brokered negotiations between the two sides in the capital. 

But Armenian defense ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said that "in disregard of the previously declared humanitarian ceasefire" Azerbaijani forces launched an attack on the frontline at 12:05 pm (0805 GMT).

Republic of Azerbaijan's defense ministry said Armenian forces had also carried out attacks on the frontline and were shelling two populated areas. "Armenia is blatantly violating the ceasefire regime," the ministry said in a statement.

The two sides had also accused each other of attacks just before the ceasefire deadline. 

Karabakh's ombudsman Artak Beglaryan said missiles had been fired at the region's main city Stepanakert while the Republic of Azerbaijan said at least five populated districts were under heavy shelling.

The ceasefire — mediated by the International Committee of the Red Cross — allows the two warring sides involved in the conflict in Karabakh to exchange dead bodies and prisoners.

Russia's top diplomat also said Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed to start seeking a lasting solution to the territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"Azerbaijan and Armenia begin substantive negotiations with the purpose of achieving a peaceful settlement as soon as possible," Lavrov told reporters, adding that the talks would be mediated by the Minsk Group of international negotiators.

Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and his Azeri counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, declined to speak to reporters following the negotiations that marked the first diplomatic contact between Baku and Yerevan since fighting over the breakaway enclave erupted on September 27.

MG