Separatist authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh said at least 20 people were killed and nearly 300 others injured by an explosion at a gas station as people seeking to flee to Armenia lined up for fuel.
Azerbaijan has renewed efforts to regain control of Nagorno-Karabkh, a disputed enclave with a majority ethnic Armenian population and a decades-long source of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Hostilities began anew last week between the two countries in the deadliest spate of violence since 2020, though a cease-fire reached on Wednesday put a temporary stop to the bloodshed.
Nikol Pashinyan warned of a military takeover after the army issued a statement demanding he step down following last year's disastrous conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The announcement of the Kremlin-backed deal sparked unrest in Armenia, where protesters took to the streets and stormed the main government building to oppose a deal they see as one-sided.
The U.S.-brokered truce — the third attempt by outside powers to end hostilities that erupted a month ago — went into effect early Monday. But the two sides quickly accused each other of violating it.
Risks of a wider conflict are too high. The U.S. should use diplomacy to stop the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, writes Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO supreme commander in Europe.
Each country said the other had promptly violated a humanitarian truce that took effect at midnight on Sunday, as fighting continues over the long-disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The conflict over the disputed territory that broke away more than two decades ago appears to rage on despite the truce brokered by Moscow over the weekend.
The Kremlin has close relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan. Turkey supports Azerbaijan. "The Turkish factor in this war is obvious and looks extremely threatening," says a Russian political analyst.
Each country is blaming the other for initiating the conflict, which has reportedly left civilians dead on both sides. Armenia has declared martial law and mobilized its military.
