Turkey is sending mercenaries to Azerbaijan after two days of clashes with Armenian forces, raising fears that outside powers such as Russia could be drawn into the conflict.
The fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian pocket of territory that broke away from Azerbaijan after a civil war in the late 1980s, has claimed more than 60 lives since Sunday. Both countries have declared martial law and ordered the partial mobilisation of their armies.
Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of violating a ceasefire, which Armenia denies. The fighting represents the most serious flare-up for four years and it is feared it could provoke Russia to intervene on the side of its Armenian ally.
The defence ministry of Azerbaijan said today that fighting continued overnight, as opposing forces attempted
