Cluster bombs banned since 2010 by an international convention, They were used in Stepanakert, capital of the Armenian independentists of Nagorno Karabakh subjected to intense Azerbaijani bombardments in recent days, according to the complaint made in the last hours International Amnesty .
The NGO “corroborated” information on the use of these weapons , which was already denounced by videos published by Armenian sources during the weekend.
The Amnesty experts “were able to locate the residential areas of Stepanakert where the images were filmed, and identified Israeli-made M095 DPICM cluster bombs, which appear to have been dropped by Azerbaijani forces, “according to the statement.
Israel is one of the major arms suppliers to Azerbaijan.
“The use of cluster bombs is prohibited in all circumstances by international humanitarian law,” he recalled. Denis Krivosheev, Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty , quoted in a statement from the NGO.
“The deployment of these weapons that hit indiscriminately in residential areas is absolutely terrifying and unacceptable,” he added.
Amnesty International “calls on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians.”
The Nagorno-Karabakh region, populated mainly by Armenians, declared secession from Azerbaijan after the fall of the Soviet Union, leading to a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives.
Both sides blame each other for the resumption of hostilities ten days ago, in one of the most serious crises, if not the most, since the 1994 ceasefire, which raises fears of an open war between these two countries.
The escalation of the conflict could have unpredictable consequences because there are several powers with interests in the region: Russia, the traditional regional arbiter, Turkey, allied with Azerbaijan, and Iran.
