Karabakh fighting: ICRC condemns shelling of civilian settlements

PanARMENIAN.Net - As the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict escalates, a surge in attacks using heavy explosive weaponry against populated areas is taking a deadly toll on civilians, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Sunday, October 4.

"The ICRC strongly condemns the reported indiscriminate shelling and other alleged unlawful attacks using explosive weaponry in cities, towns and other populated areas, in which civilians are losing their lives and suffering terrible injuries, including life-changing ones,” said Martin Schüepp, ICRC Eurasia regional director in Geneva.

“All feasible measures must be taken to protect and spare civilians and civilian infrastructure like hospitals, schools and markets. Water supply for civilians must also be protected. These are obligations under international humanitarian law․”

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, 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.