Azerbaijani
and Armenian forces have defied calls for a truce in a disputed region
of the southern Caucasus, where fighting has escalated in recent days.
On
Thursday, Russia and France called for a ceasefire in the
Nagorno-Karabakh region amid the worst flare-up in violence there in
decades.
But heavy shelling persisted and explosions were reported in the region's main city overnight.
Officially part of Azerbaijan, the area is governed by ethnic Armenians.
The
two former Soviet republics fought a war in 1988-94 over the territory.
Although Armenia backs the self-declared republic it has never
officially recognised it.
It is unclear what caused the renewed fighting, which broke out on Sunday and is the heaviest since the 1994 ceasefire.
Dozens
of people have been killed with hundreds wounded, and there are growing
fears international powers could be dragged into the conflict.
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