International Desk: At least 49 Armenian soldiers killed in clashes along the border with Azerbaijan after a sharp escalation in hostilities which prompted Russia and the United States to call for restraint.

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The escalation of decades-old hostilities between the south Caucasus countries has fuelled fears that a second fully-fledged war could break out in the post-Soviet world in addition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Armenia said several towns near the border with Azerbaijan were being shelled in the early hours of Tuesday, and that it had responded to what it called a "large-scale provocation" by the Azerbaijan.

Baku said it was attacked by Armenia.

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused that Azerbaijan of attacking Armenian towns because it did not want to negotiate over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave which is inside Azerbaijan but mainly populated by ethnic Armenians.

"The intensity of hostilities has decreased but attacks on one or two fronts from Azerbaijan continue," Pashinyan said in a speech to parliament, according to Russian media.

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Azerbaijan, which accused Armenia of carrying out intelligence activity along the border and moving weapons, said its military positions came under attack by Armenia. Azeri media reported that a ceasefire agreement had been broken almost immediately after being enforced early on Tuesday.

Sun News/MR

Armenian soldiers clashes killed Azerbaijan

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