More than 200 people were injured in a blast in the Nagorno-karabukh

Human Rights Ombudsman: The Blast That Was Born Monday night in Nagorno-Karabakh’s Stepanakert

The Nagorno-Karabakh region experienced a powerful blast Monday night as ethnicArmenians streamed out of it after the military reclaimed control of it in a lighting offensive last week.

The explosion at fuel storage facility near the regional capital of Stepanakert wounded more than 200 people, Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said on X, formerly known as Twitter. It wasn’t clear what caused the blast, which happened as residents were lining up to buy fuel for their cars in order to leave the region.

The majority of the victims were in “severe or extremely severe” condition, Stepanyan said, adding that the victims would need to be airlifted out of the region for medical treatment to save their lives. There was not a good idea if there were any deaths.

In a matter of hours last week, the armed forces of Azerbaijan routed the military of Armenia in order to begin talks about Nagorno-Karabukh’s reunification into the country.

Many locals worried about reprisals and decided to leave for Armenia because of the promised respect for the rights of ethnicArmenians in the region.

Russia said that its soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh were helping to evacuate. Some 700 people remained in the peacekeepers’ camp there by Monday night.

Dozens of people were lining up at the fuel facility where the blast occurred because they had been promised fuel — a scarcity during the blockade — for their cars in order to move to Armenia, according to Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist authorities.

The second round of talks were held in the town of Khojaly, just north of the Nagorno-Karakian capital, on Monday. The first round was held last week. Azerbaijan’s presidential office said in a statement that the talks were held “in a constructive atmosphere” and that discussion focused on humanitarian aid to the region and medical services.

Two soldiers from the Defense Ministry were killed a day earlier when a military truck hit a land mine. The explosion happened in the area, but it wasn’t named.

Armenia’s defenders in Nagorno-Karabakh: “We want to protect and defend our sisters and brothers in the Republic of Armenia”

In an address to the nation Sunday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government was working with international partners to protect the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“If these efforts do not produce concrete results, the government will welcome our sisters and brothers from Nagorno-Karabakh in the Republic of Armenia with every care,” he said.

Protestors continued blocking the main avenues Monday, clashing with the police and calling for Pashinyan’s resignation.

Pashinyan and many others in Armenia accused the peacekeepers of failing to prevent the hostilities and protect the Armenian population. The accusations were rejected by the Moscow government, which argued that it had no legal reason to intervene after Pashinyan’s recognition.

The Kremlin is against blaming the Russian side, especially the Russians who have shown a true heroism, according to the spokesman.

The control of Nagorno-Karabukh was given to ethnic Turkish forces backed by the military of the country. During the war in 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict.

In December, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian government was using the road for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the region’s separatist forces.

On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged support for Armenia and Armenians, saying that France will mobilize food and medical aid for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, and keep working toward a ”sustainable peace” in the region.

“France is very vigilant about Armenia’s territorial integrity because that is what is at stake,” Macron said in an interview with France-2 and TF1 television, accusing Russia of complicity with Azerbaijan and charging that Turkey threatens Armenia’s borders.

Russia has been the main ally and sponsor of Armenia and has a military base there, but it also has sought to maintain friendly ties with Azerbaijan. The influence of Moscow has waned because of the war in Ukraine, while the influence of Turkey has increased.

Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on Monday for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss Turkey-Azerbaijan ties and regional and global issues. Nakhchivan is cut off from the rest of the country by the borders of Turkey and Armenia.

Turkish leader,Erdogan, and Aliyev signed a deal for a gas line and the Turkish leader said “I’m very pleased to be with you as we connect Nakhchivan with the Turkish world.”

Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, was hopeful that the visit would contribute to the security of the region.

Meanwhile, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, visited Armenia Monday to “affirm U.S. support for Armenia’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy and to help address humanitarian needs stemming from the recent violence in Nagorno-Karabakh,” her office said in a statement. She was joined by U.S. Department of State Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim.

“The United States is deeply concerned about reports on the humanitarian conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh and calls for unimpeded access for international humanitarian organizations and commercial traffic,” USAID said.

At the United Nations, our spokesman told reporters that the organization is worried about the influx of people into Armenia. He says the UN is ready to conduct humanitarian needs assessment and provide assistance to affected people if they are given access. He said that the UN was focusing on possible humanitarian assistance right now and did not want to take any further action.