Armenia declares martial law and general mobilization

YEREVAN - Armenia Sunday declared martial law and general mobilization in response to the escalation of clashes along the contact line of the Nagorno-Karabakh region with Azerbaijan.

"At the decision of the government, martial law and general mobilization is being declared in the Republic of Armenia. I call on the personnel attached to the troops to present themselves to their district commissariats," Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on his social media platform on Sunday.

He said the decision will be effective after official publication.

The Armenian Parliament will convene an emergency session on Sunday to discuss the situation, according to local media Armenpress.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that it has shot down two Azerbaijani helicopters and three drones.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said it is currently launching a counter-offensive in the region.

Azerbaijan's state news agency Azertac reported that Armenia's 12 air-defense missile systems were destroyed while one military helicopter of Azerbaijan was shot down during the clashes. No deaths were reported among the crew.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes along the borders.