Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh goes on despite US mediation

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Men sit in a bomb shelter during shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Heavy fighting raged Friday over Nagorno-Karabakh even as top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan visited Washington for negotiations on settling the neighboring countries’ decades-long conflict. (AP Photo)

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People try to remove car tyres from a car shop on fire after shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Heavy fighting raged Friday over Nagorno-Karabakh even as top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan visited Washington for negotiations on settling the neighboring countries’ decades-long conflict. (AP Photo)

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Citizens inspect a car destroyed during a shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Heavy fighting raged Friday over Nagorno-Karabakh even as top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan visited Washington for negotiations on settling the neighboring countries’ decades-long conflict. (AP Photo)

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In this photo provided by the Armenian Prime Minister Press Service via PAN Photo, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan speaks to a wounded serviceman as he visits a military hospital in Yerevan, Armenia, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Heavy fighting is raging over Nagorno-Karabakh even as top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan have traveled to Washington for negotiations on settling the neighboring countries’ decades-long conflict. (Tigran Mehrabyan, Armenian Prime Minister Press Service/PAN Photo via AP)

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Newlyweds, soldier Hovhannes Hovsepyan, left, and Mariam Sargsyan release pigeons after their wedding ceremony in the Holy Savior Cathedral, damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Shushi, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. The wedding was celebrated even as intense fighting in the region has continued. (AP Photo)

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Church workers sweep the dust in the Holy Savior Cathedral, damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Shushi, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. The heavy shelling forced residents of Stepanakert, the regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, into shelters, as emergency teams rushed to extinguish fires. Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said other towns in the region were also targeted by Azerbaijani artillery fire. (AP Photo)

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A policeman prays in the Holy Savior Cathedral, damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Shushi, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, with a damaged icon of the Virgin on the left. The heavy shelling forced residents of Stepanakert, the regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, into shelters, as emergency teams rushed to extinguish fires. Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said other towns in the region were also targeted by Azerbaijani artillery fire. (AP Photo)

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A view of the Holy Savior Cathedral, damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Shushi, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. The heavy shelling forced residents of Stepanakert, the regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, into shelters, as emergency teams rushed to extinguish fires. Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said other towns in the region were also targeted by Azerbaijani artillery fire. (AP Photo)

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A shop damaged by Azerbaijan’s artillery during military conflict in the town of Martuni, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Heavy fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh is continuing with Armenia and Azerbaijan trading blame for new attacks. Two Russia-brokered cease-fires collapsed instantly after taking effect, and the warring parties have continued to exchange blows with heavy artillery, rockets and drones. (AP Photo)

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In this photo provided by the Armenian Prime Minister Press Service via PAN Photo, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrives to visit a military hospital in Yerevan, Armenia, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Heavy fighting is raging over Nagorno-Karabakh even as top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan have traveled to Washington for negotiations on settling the neighboring countries’ decades-long conflict. (Tigran Mehrabyan, Armenian Prime Minister Press Service/PAN Photo via AP)

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Shepherd Kim Mkrtchian armed with a Kalashnikov drives cows and sheep away from the front line near the town of Martuni, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Heavy fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh is continuing with Armenia and Azerbaijan trading blame for new attacks. Two Russia-brokered cease-fires collapsed instantly after taking effect, and the warring parties have continued to exchange blows with heavy artillery, rockets and drones. (AP Photo)

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An apartment through a shell-pierced wall after shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in the town of Martuni, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Heavy fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh is continuing with Armenia and Azerbaijan trading blame for new attacks. Two Russia-brokered cease-fires collapsed instantly after taking effect, and the warring parties have continued to exchange blows with heavy artillery, rockets and drones. (AP Photo)

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A man smokes and looks through the window of his apartment in Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Heavy fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh is continuing with Armenia and Azerbaijan trading blame for new attacks. Two Russia-brokered cease-fires collapsed instantly after taking effect, and the warring parties have continued to exchange blows with heavy artillery, rockets and drones. (AP Photo)

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Newlyweds, soldier Hovhannes Hovsepyan, right, and Mariam Sargsyan get married in the Holy Savior Cathedral, damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Shushi, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. The wedding was celebrated even as intense fighting in the region has continued. (AP Photo)

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Newlyweds, soldier Hovhannes Hovsepyan, right, and Mariam Sargsyan hug after their wedding ceremony in the Holy Savior Cathedral, damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Shushi, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. The wedding was celebrated even as intense fighting in the region has continued. (AP Photo)

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A priest prays in the Holy Savior Cathedral, damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Shushi, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. The heavy shelling forced residents of Stepanakert, the regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, into shelters, as emergency teams rushed to extinguish fires. Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said other towns in the region were also targeted by Azerbaijani artillery fire. (AP Photo)

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Newlyweds, soldier Hovhannes Hovsepyan, left, and Mariam Sargsyan walk after their wedding ceremony in the Holy Savior Cathedral, damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Shushi, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. The wedding was celebrated even as intense fighting in the region has continued. (AP Photo)

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People kiss the cross on the altar in the Holy Savior Cathedral, damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery, during a military conflict in Shushi, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. The heavy shelling forced residents of Stepanakert, the regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, into shelters, as emergency teams rushed to extinguish fires. Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said other towns in the region were also targeted by Azerbaijani artillery fire. (AP Photo)

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A man fences off a tail of a multiple rocket after shelling by Azerbaijan’s artillery during a military conflict in Shushi, outside Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. The latest outburst of fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces began Sept. 27 and marked the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The region lies in Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the end of a separatist war in 1994. (AP Photo)

STEPANAKERT, Nagorno-Karabakh (AP) — Rocket and artillery barrage hit residential areas in Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday hours after the United States hosted top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan for talks on settling their decades-long conflict over the region.

The heavy shelling forced residents of Stepanakert, the regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, into shelters, as emergency teams rushed to extinguish fires. Local officials said the city was struck with Azerbaijan’s Smerch long-range multiple rocket systems, a devastating Soviet-designed weapon intended to ravage wide areas with explosives and cluster munitions.

Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said other towns in the region were also targeted by Azerbaijani artillery fire. There was no immediate information about casualties.

Officials in Azerbaijan claimed that the town of Terter and areas in the Gubadli region came under Armenian shelling early Saturday, killing a teenager. They also said 13-year-old boy died Saturday of wounds from an earlier shelling of Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second-largest city.

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Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. The current fighting that started Sept. 27 marks the worst escalation in the conflict since the war’s end and has killed hundreds, perhaps even thousands, according to official reports.

After two failed attempts by Russia to broker a truce, the U.S. waded onto the scene on Friday, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosting the Armenian and Azerbaijan foreign ministers for separate talks.

“Both must implement a ceasefire and return to substantive negotiations,” Pompeo said in a tweet after the negotiations.

Those words were ignored on the ground.

“Just now a bomb exploded in my garden,” Georgiy, a resident of Stepanakert who only gave his first name amid the war jitters, said after the overnight attack. “If this is the so-called cease-fire, let the whole world see this cease-fire.”

Georgiy, who was born in Stepanakert, said he would stay home despite the fighting.

“This is my motherland, I’m not going to leave it,” he said. “All the people will stand until the last.”

Despite the fighting, residents of the town of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabakh celebrated a wedding at the Holy Savior Cathedral, also known as the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral and which was badly damaged during earlier Azerbaijani shelling.

Hovhannes Hovsepyan, who serves in the region’s military, took a two-day leave from the frontline to marry Mariam Sargsyan. The couple planned their wedding before the latest outburst of fighting began.

“I wish the war ends and everyone comes back and joins ceremonies like this one,” Hovsepyan said. “Glory to heroes that are alive, and I wish new heroes are born and they don’t see wars.”

According to Nagorno-Karabakh officials, 963 of their troops have been killed, and 37 civilians also have died. Azerbaijan hasn’t disclosed its military losses, but said that 65 civilians were killed and about 300 were wounded in the four weeks of fighting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that according to Moscow’s information, the death toll from the fighting was significantly higher than officially reported by the warring parties, nearing 5,000.

Russia, the United States and France have co-chaired the so-called Minsk Group set up by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to mediate in the conflict, but they haven’t scored any progress after nearly three decades.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that to end hostilities Armenian forces must withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh. He has insisted that Azerbaijan has the right to reclaim its territory by force since international mediators have failed.

Turkey has thrown its weight behind Azerbaijan, vowing to support its ally “on the battlefield or the negotiating table.” It has trained Azerbaijani military and provided it with strike drones and long-range rocket systems that gave Azerbaijan a strong military edge on the battlefield.

Armenian officials say Turkey is directly involved in the conflict and is sending Syrian mercenaries in to fight on Azerbaijan’s side.

Turkey has denied deploying combatants to the region, but a Syrian war monitor and Syria-based opposition activists have confirmed that Turkey has sent hundreds of Syrian opposition fighters to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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Avet Demourian in Yerevan, Armenia, Aida Sultanova in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.