Karabakh military control situation in conflict zone, Yerevan says
YEREVAN. April 5 (Interfax) - The situation in the Karabakh conflict zone is under the control of the defense army of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Armenian deputy parliamentary speaker Eduard Sharmazanov said.
"The situation is under the control of the Karabakh army," he told parliament on Tuesday.
Many citizens and parliamentarians have proposed "providing financial and other aid to Nagorno-Karabakh," he said.
"The Karabakh government has already set up a relevant headquarters; a bank account has been opened. Those willing to provide assistance may contact parliament," the deputy speaker said.
Tensions in the Karabakh conflict zone abruptly escalated in the small hours of April 2. Hostilities engaging aircraft and artillery began. The sides traded accusations of the breach of ceasefire along the contact line.
The conflicting sides said on Monday that they were ready to cease the hostilities. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry press secretary Hikmat Hajiyev said that Baku could cease fire in the event that the Armenian army left the occupied Azerbaijani lands consistent with UN Security Council resolutions.
The Armenian Defense Ministry supported the appeals for ceasefire in the Karabakh conflict zone but said it was necessary to spell out truce technicalities, "to separate the warring sides and to develop mechanisms for a lasting truce."
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry press service reported on Monday evening that the defense minister had ordered all branches of the Armed Forces to be prepared for strikes on Khankendi (Stepanakert) unless Armenia "stopped shelling our populated localities" shortly.
The Defense Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic warned Azerbaijan that "the response to such developments would be extreme and devastating."
According to the latest reports, hostilities continue on the contact line. The conflicting sides claim substantial losses of their enemy and moderate casualties of their own.