Pakistanis join protests against Armenia as Pakistan condemns attack on Azerbaijan

(Karachi) Pakistan has strongly condemned the attack by Armenian forces on the Tovuz district of Azerbaijan on July 12, which resulted in several Azeri casualties.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said: "We extend our sincere condolences to the bereaved families."

It stated the unresolved conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh poses a serious threat to regional peace and security with far-reaching consequences.

Hər dəfə Pakistan söhbəti ilə məzələnirdik amma meydanda olan 2 ölkə bayrağından biri Pakistanın bayrağı idi. Bayrağı tutan da elə pakistanlılar idi. Daha sonra dəstək olan türkiyəlilər də var idi. pic.twitter.com/6TQPwGBoLs

— Rəcəb Həsənbəy (@HesenbeyR) July 15, 2020

"The recent provocative action is manifestation of the Armenian attempt to distract the international community and hamper the ongoing negotiation process for peaceful resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the FO maintained.

Earlier on July 12, Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations of launching a military offensive using artillery fire along their shared border, with Baku reporting two troops killed.

Azerbaijan's defence ministry said Armenia's "offensive" from its northern Tavush region was met with a "counterstrike" and retreated. "Two Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and five more wounded," it added.

The two former Soviet republics have been locked in a simmering conflict for decades over Azerbaijan's region of Nagorny Karabakh, which was seized by ethnic-Armenian separatists in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives.

The international community still views the region as part of Azerbaijan.