The Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Defense Army has thwarted the large-scale attack launched by the Azerbaijani military on Saturday, October 3, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan reports.

"In one of the directions, our forces have launched a counterattack. In other parts, heavy defensive battles are underway," Stepanyan wrote on Facebook.

Azerbaijan launched a large-scale 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. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of civilian settlements.