Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said Tuesday, September 29 that Azerbaijan has been employing TOS-1A heavy flamethrower systems along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact.

Stepanyan warned that the Armenian side will have to use weapons designed to engage wide area targets.

"The use of TOS, Smerch and other large-caliber systems changes the philosophy and the scale of military operations, elevating them to the new level of escalation," Stepanyan said on Facebook.

"In this regard, the Ministry of Defense warns that Armenian Armed Forces are compelled to use pieces of equipment and munitions designed to engage wide area targets. These assets are intended for large and indiscriminate destruction of manpower, and static and mobile property alike."

Stepanyan said the Karabakh Defense Army troops are repelling all attempts of attack, causing heavy losses to Azerbaijani equipment and manpower.

Azerbaijan launched a major offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military.