Azerbaijan declares cease-fire in Narogno-Karabakh

AZERBAIJAN, Armenia, April 3 (UPI) -- Azerbaijan said it declared a unilateral cease-fire in the fighting with Armenian forces over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region but some reports show the fighting is continuing.

While a defense ministry spokesman said the Azeris declared the cease-fire in response to international calls to stop the violence, Armenian-backed Karabakh forces said that was false and Azerbaijan continues to fire shells, the BBC reported.

The Nagorno-Karabakh region has been in the hands of ethnic Armenian separatists since a war that ended in 1994.

"In the light of persistent calls from international organizations and given the fact that the government of Azerbaijan is pursuing a peaceful policy, the Azerbaijani armed forces took a unilateral decision to stop counterattacks and retaliatory action against the enemy in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan," the ministry of defense said in a statement.

Despite the defense ministry's announcement, fighting continued Sunday after clashes resulted in the killing of 30 soldiers and other civilian casualties.

The ministry announcement came a day after long-simmering tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan flared resulting in the killings and injuries, CNN reported. At least 18 Armenian and 12 Azerbaijani troops were reported killed in fighting.

The clashes were centered in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region occupied by Armenian forces but surrounded and claimed by Azerbaijan. The sides have disputed for years where it belongs, though bloodshed has been relatively rare lately in connection to the disputed territory.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement it condemned "in the strongest terms the large-scale cease-fire violations ... which have resulted in a number of reported casualties, including civilians."

"We urge the sides to show restraint, avoid further escalation, and strictly adhere to the cease-fire," the statement said, urging the two sides to enter into negotiations. "We reiterate that there is no military solution to the conflict."

Each country blamed the other for the latest hostilities.

Armenian officials said "the adversary" undertook "offensive actions," trying to "infiltrate deep into the defensive lines of the [Armenian army] and seize tactical positions using tanks, artillery and air force," according to a defense ministry statement.

The "enemy retreated" after Armenian forces responded, with the defense ministry noting that "military operations are ongoing."