07-04-2016 17:48:00 | Armenia | Articles and Analyses
To be updated and corrected.
All times local for Armenia and Azerbaijan
April 2, Saturday
0:00-01:00 Aliyev, then Sargsyan leave summit in Washington
02:30 - Az. Special Forces group surrounded in Talish area, in north-east corner of Nagorno Karabakh
03:40 Azerbaijani army begins shelling the town of Mardakert, located just 4 kilometers from Line of Contact, as well as Madagis and Talish with artillery and Grad missiles. More than 5,000 people are evacuated from Talish, Madagis and Mardakert; no civilian deaths are reported from Az. artillery fire in this area. This RT video shows Az. Grad MLRS systems firing on Apr. 2 from south of Tartar.
08:19 Karabakh Defense Army reports on Az. tank and infantry attacks near Talish, Seysulan and Horadiz (latter in southern-most portion of LoC on Iranian border); since around 0800.
09:10 Karabakh Defense Army reports Az. helicopter brought down in Gulistan area around 0800.
10:25 Karabakh Defense Army reports Grad strike around Martuni at 08:30 kills 12 y.o. schoolboy, wounds 2 others; although Saturday, Apr. 2 was a working day in Armenia and NKR with following Monday a day off.
10:00 According to FlightRadar data, Az. civilian flights resume from Nakhichevan and Baku after 4-hour delay
12:00 In first public comment on the fighting, Az. MoD claims Armenian artillery fire in Terter and Agdam districts; 1 civilian dead and 2 others wounded when their car is hit by Grad shrapnel; denies helicopter shot down
12:50 Karabakh Defense Army reports continued heavy fighting in Horadiz-Hadrut and Terter-Mardakert directions, publishes photos of Az. ThunderB UAV brought down nearly intact in northern NK, says 2 Az. tanks destroyed in the south and 1 in the north. Says 2nd Az. helicopter shot down in SE NK around 12:30.
Armenian aircraft, helicopters reportedly fly out from airbases in Gyumri and Erebuni.
Az. MoD claims control of Talish, Seysulan and Lale Tepe hills near Iranian border, says 12 of its soldiers killed, confirms helicopter shot down. (Note: ruins of Seysulan in Mardakert dist. have been under Az. control since 1992; in later statements Az. MoD claimed control of only "heights near Talish" not the settlement itself.)
On the south-eastern corner of Armenian-controlled territory fighting reportedly focused on Lale Tepe (center), just two
kilometers from Iranian border (divided from the Caucasus by Araxes river).
Azerbaijan social media groups spread video and photos of 19 year-old army Pvt. Karam Sloyan beheaded, bodies of other dead Armenian soldiers seen in frontline trenches.
18:50 Photos published of half a dozen Az. SF dead in Talish/Madagiz areas; Karabakh defense army says that throughout the day 1 Az. combat helicopter shot down in northern direction (Gulistan), 2 Az. tanks and 2 UAVs knocked out in Mardakert direction and 2 tanks and 1 helicopter in southern direction; video and photos of helicopter wreckage are published at 20:50.
19:35 Karabakh defense army publishes drone video and stills from over Seysulan frontline showing more than twenty bodies of dead soldiers lying along the frontline.
Evening: Sargsyan holds National Security Council meeting, says 18 Armenian servicemen have been killed, 35 wounded in first day of fighting, but that the military has "taken the situation under its control."
Mobilization of reservists begins in Stepanakert.
April 3, Sunday
07:25: Karabakh Defense Army reports Az. resumed artillery fire and offensive operations in southern direction at 06:00.
11:35: Karabakh Defense Army reports intense fighting ongoing in NE NK and near Araxes, says Armenians forces pushed back Az. forces in Talish area; reports additional 2 tanks, 1 IFV destroyed in southern direction.
Midday: Journalists from Yerevan (Civilnet, RFERL, Hetq), Tbilisi (Rustavi2) and Moscow (RT, Meduza.io) go to Mardakert; some come under artillery fire, return to Stepanakert
Hetq.am correspondents continue on to Madagis and Talish; in the evening publish photographs of elderly couple and another old woman who did not evacuate from Talish killed and (at least one of them) mutilated, apparently by Az. SF group that entered Talish some time on Apr. 2 or early on April 3.
13:55: Karabakh Defense Army reports continued intense fighting in the north and in the south; says Az. side lost 3 tanks in Mardakert direction. Since April 2, Az. side is estimated to have lost 14 tanks and 5 IFVs. The Armenian side had lost 1 tank. Grad missile and 152-mm artillery fire continues against Mardakert.
16:25: Karabakh Defense Army reports that Az. MoD's claims of unilateral cease-fire are disinformation and that fighting continues; adds that cease-fire is possible only when cease-fire line is restored to where it was on April 1.
Az. MoD says 3 more of its soldiers killed
18:00 Life News expelled from Az. for its report from Tartar that claimed that locals were unhappy with the fighting; the Life News crew also recorded a report from Sarijali in Agdam district.
22:00 Volunteers led by Syunik governor Surik Khachatryan arrive in Stepanakert, interviewed by CivilNet.
April 4, Monday
08:10 Karabakh Defense Army reports continued fighting and exchanges of fire using Grad systems and 152-mm artillery.
10:45 Karabakh Defense Army claims Armenian forces have retaken the initiative in the fighting, 3 Az. tanks destroyed in the north and 2 in the south.
13:30 Karabakh Defense army reports that shortly after 11:00 the Az. has for the first time fired from Tos-1A MLRS (no damage reported and one Tos is reportedly hit by Armenian forces) and launched armed drones, later identified as IAI Harop; claims three attack drones were destroyed.
Media group (inc. RT) travels to Mardakert, comes under artillery fire, returns at night to Stepanakert.
Bus with volunteers from Armenia hit by Harop near Mardakert, 5 people on the bus killed, including village mayors of Akhlatyan, Syunik and Darpas, Lori, and 2 are seriously wounded.
RFERL video shows Az. Harop apparently striking a target in Mardakert area.
Az source claims Spike anti-tank guided missiles used against Armenian tanks.
Az. MoD orders "preparations of heavy missile-artillery forces for a strike on Stepanakert."
16:31 Russia's Life News claims Azeris from ISIS going from Syria to join the fight in NK; the following day Azerbaijani government promised to arrest any ISIS members arriving in Azerbaijan.
19:23 Russian Southern Military District reports its Dagestan-based motor-rifle brigade (1000 men, 300 units of equipment) holding snap exercises near Buinaksk.
21:40 Karabakh Defense Army operations chief Col. Viktor Arustamyan holds a media briefing at 19:00, reports Armenian losses at 20 killed, 72 wounded, 26 missing, as well as 7 tanks lost; says Az. side lost 18 tanks, 2 helo’s, 1 Grad, 6 UAVs. Warns Az. military command of "painful response" if civilian areas of Stepanakert are attacked.
News.am: Group of journalists returning from Madagis to Mardakert comes under artillery fire
Haqqin.az claims capture of Madagiz, Karabakh MoD denies the report at 23:59.
Russian Il-76 flies to Yerevan via Azerbaijan and Iran, according to FlightRadar data.
April 5, Tuesday
08:35: Karabakh Defense Army reports heavy artillery fire overnight, inc. Smerch in southern direction; Armenian MoD: fire opened on Tavush as well
10:00 Az. MoD publishes drone videos of strike on Madagiz and 3 Armenian tanks; says that 16 az. soldiers have been killed ‘in last 2 days’ for total of 31 killed. Also reports civilian casualties.
11:45 Karabakh Defense Army reports continued artillery attacks against civilian areas in Mardakert and Martuni districts, says its own forces try to avoid firing in civilian areas. Video published of another Az. drone (Aerostar?) downed by Armenian forces.
Noon: Armenia and Azerbaijani chiefs of staff Khachaturov and Sadykov meet in Moscow, agree to cease fire.
14:44 RT: Karabakh forces agreed to truce since noon; Azerbaijan confirms soon after
Midday: Aliyev speaking to several families of shehids outside main military hospital in Baku says that "adequate blow was delivered to Armenians."
19:00 Karabakh Defense Army briefing reports Armenian side suffered 29 killed, 101 wounded and 14 tanks lost. Says Az. side lost 24 tanks, 5 IFVs, 2 helicopters, 1 Grad system, 12 UAVs.
20:00: Russian media reports Putin calls to Aliyev and Sargsyan earlier in the day.
April 6, Wednesday
While the cease-fire held generally, in the evening the Karabakh defense ministry reported a death of servicemen from hostile mortar fire in Mardakert area.
A medical emergency vehicle was reportedly fired upon by a tank near LoC as it was in the area to collect bodies of dead tank crew members.
Overall Armenian casualties since April 2 stood at 32 killed, 120 wounded and 25 missing in action. Of the 32 killed, eight are officers or NCOs and 24 are contracted or drafted enlisted men.
The Azerbaijani defense ministry has not released any additional casualty figures to 31 officially reported on April 5, but news media reported on more than 52 combat deaths, with these reports collected here. Of the 52, 15 are officers including one colonel and one lt. colonel.
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