WASHINGTON, DC — The US State Department has criticized the latest upsurge of fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone calling for an immediate end to violence.
“We have received credible reports that Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have used mortars and other heavy weapons along the international border, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to villages. We are deeply troubled by the escalation and condemn any military action that targets civilians. We call for an immediate end to such violence, for the de-escalation of tensions, and, in the strongest possible terms, for the avoidance of civilian casualties,” State Department spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement released late on Thursday.
“We also remind the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan of their commitment to reach a negotiated settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict working closely with the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.”
