Azerbaijan downs another Armenian SU-25 fighter jet

Azerbaijan on Sunday shot down another Armenian Su-25 fighter jet, according to the country’s Defense Ministry – the second Su-25 to be downed in as many days, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement, the ministry said the Su-25 attack aircraft was trying to launch airstrikes on Azerbaijani positions in the Jabrayil region when it was shot down, like its predecessor on Saturday.

The jet was destroyed by Azerbaijani forces at around 12:30 p.m. (0830GMT), the ministry said.

In a phone call, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar congratulated Azerbaijan on shooting down the jets, said Turkey’s Defense Ministry on Sunday.

Earlier, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry announced that Armenian forces had already “grossly violated” a new humanitarian cease-fire only hours old, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery.

The cease-fire – the second since hostilities around Upper Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) began on Sept. 27 – only went into effect at 12 midnight Saturday (2000GMT).

The second cease-fire was reached between Baku and Yerevan after the previous Oct. 10 humanitarian cease-fire – meant to allow an exchange of prisoners and the recovery of dead bodies – was breached hours later by Armenian missile attacks on Azerbaijan’s city of Ganja, killing 10 people and injuring 35.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Some 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory has remained under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.

The OSCE Minsk Group – co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US – was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but to no avail. A cease-fire, however, was agreed to in 1994.

Multiple UN resolutions, as well as international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the occupying forces.

World powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged a new cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku’s right to self-defense and demanded the withdrawal of Armenia’s occupying forces.