Amnesty International said on Tuesday that Israeli-made cluster bombs are being used against civilians by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azeri and Armenian forces have been locked in deadly clashes in the disputed region since fighting erupted on September 27th.
Amnesty International analyzed footage from Nagorno-Karabakh’s capital Stepanakert, a city Armenia accused Azerbaijan of shelling on Monday. The rights group identified Israeli-made M095 DPICM cluster munitions and said Azeri forces “appear” to have fired the bombs towards residential areas in the city.
Cluster bombs are a form of explosive that release and scatter smaller submunitions. The weapon’s indiscriminate nature makes it extra deadly if dropped in residential areas. Some smaller munitions can be left unexploded, making them a hazard for civilians who come across them.
“The use of cluster bombs in any circumstances is banned under international humanitarian law, so their use to attack civilian areas is particularly dangerous and will only lead to further deaths and injuries,” Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty’s acting head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said in a statement.
Over 100 countries have signed a convention banning the use of cluster munitions, but neither Azerbaijan, Israel, or Armenia are signatories. Israel is estimated to provide Azerbaijan with about 60 percent of its weapons. An Azeri official said last week that Azerbaijan is using Israeli-made attack drones in Nagorno-Karabakh.