Nagorno Karabakh: Amnesty International accuses Azerbaijan of using Israeli-made cluster bombs...

Amnesty International has accused Azerbaijan of using cluster bombs in civilian areas in the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region with Armenia, in light of the ongoing fighting between the two sides.

The organization said that Israeli-made bombs were dropped on the main city of Stepanakert.

Denis Krivoshev, a spokesperson for the organization, added that he was surprised by the use of such weapons that are non-discriminatory in nature.

Cluster bombs are banned under an international treaty, but neither country has signed the agreement.

The British newspaper “Daily Telegraph” reported that cluster bombs were used over the weekend during the violent bombing of the town of Stepanakert, capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Cluster bombs contain hundreds of bomblets that explode over large areas, and they can cause many injuries if they are used in civilian areas.

These clashes are the worst since the 1990s, which increases the risk of a wider regional war that may attract Russia and Turkey amid growing concern about stability in the South Caucasus, as pipelines transport oil and gas from Azerbaijan to global markets.

The new wave of fighting, which broke out on 27 September, has so far claimed the lives of more than 240 people, including more than 30 civilians.

The two sides defied international calls for a ceasefire, and exchanged accusations of starting new clashes, which witnessed the fiercest fighting since the ceasefire in 1994.

A few days ago, Russia offered to host negotiations aimed at ending the fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

It is reported that Russia is militarily allied with Armenia and has a base in it, but at the same time it maintains close relations with the Azerbaijani government.

French President Emmanuel Macron had warned Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization “NATO”, which supports Azerbaijan, against what was said about the deployment of militants from Syria on the front lines in Nagorno Karabakh.

Basic facts about province Nagorno-Karabakh

• A mountainous area of ​​about 4,400 square kilometers (1,700 sq mi).
• It is inhabited by Armenian Christians and Muslim Turks.
• It became an autonomous region within the Republic of Azerbaijan during the Soviet era.
• It is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the majority of its inhabitants are of Armenian origin.
• The unilaterally declared powers are not recognized by UN member states, including Armenia itself.
• About one million people were displaced by the war during the period from 1988 to 1994, which resulted in 30,000 deaths.
• Separatist forces captured some additional territory around the enclave in Azerbaijan.
• There has been a stalemate largely since the 1994 ceasefire.
• Turkey openly supports Azerbaijan.
• Russia has a military base in Armenia.