Azerbaijan claims capture of key Karabakh town, Armenia denies

Azerbaijan said Sunday that its forces had captured the key town of Shusha from Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh, but Armenia insisted that fighting continued for the strategic area.

The capture of Shusha, known to Armenians as Shushi, would be a major victory for Azerbaijan six weeks after fighting erupted anew over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave that broke away from Azerbaijan's control in the 1990s.

The fortress town sits on cliffs around 15 kilometers from Nagorno-Karabakh's largest city Stepanakert and on the main road to Armenia, which backs the separatists.

Both sides have reported fierce clashes around the town after Azerbaijani forces swept across the southern flank of Nagorno-Karabakh and pushed through its mountain passes.

In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said it had been captured. "With great pride and joy, I inform you that the town of Shusha has been liberated," said Aliyev, dressed in military fatigues and standing in front of an Azerbaijani flag.

Armenian officials denied the stronghold had fallen, with defense ministry representative Artsrun Hovhannisyan saying that despite substantial Azerbaijani reinforcements, "the battle for Shusha will end."

"We became technically better and stronger, we were able to neutralize the enemy's technological advantage," he insisted.

(With input from AFP)