OpinionNagorno-Karabakh conflict offers insight into the new art of war

Name: Azerbaijan and Armenia accuse each other of targeting cities outside conflict zones
Uploaded: 2020-10-03T23:00:14.000Z
Duration: 3 min 23 s
Description: Azerbaijan and Armenia accuse each other of targeting cities outside conflict zones

Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan represents a possible third front involving Russian and Turkish proxies, after Syria and Libya

It also highlights several disturbing trends, including the increased use of mercenaries and the role of social media in heightened tensions

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A police officer stands in front of a residential building that was supposedly damaged by shelling in Nagorno-Karabakh’s main city of Stepanakert. Photo: AFP

Alessandro Arduino

Published: 7:00am, 4 Oct 2020Updated: 3:45pm, 5 Oct 2020

As in the 1990s, border skirmishes in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan appear to be escalating into full-scale conflict.

The mountainous enclave is part of Azerbaijan but is run by its mostly ethnic Armenian inhabitants. It is not recognised internationally as independent. Following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, war in Nagorno-Karabakh led to the deaths of 30,000 people.

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Azerbaijan and Armenia accuse each other of targeting cities outside conflict zones

In 2020, there is an important difference. The fighting that broke out over the past week involves the use of foreign armed drones and, allegedly, mercenaries. This increases the potential for the conflict to devolve into a grinding battle as the supply of men and materiel from mercenaries and weapons from other nations will lower the cost to the main combatants.

Turkey has already declared its full support for Azerbaijan, while Armenia is part of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). This means the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh represents a possible third indirect front involving Russian and Turkish proxies, after Syria and Libya.