Human Rights Watch confirms that the Armenian Armed Forces used internationally prohibited cluster munitions. The organization said at least one long-range missile was used in the attack on the town of Barda.
Human Rights Watch analyzed cluster munitions photographs taken by international or local journalists and residents at or near the attack site and identified two types of weapons: a Smerch cluster munition rocket and a Smerch parachute-retarded high-explosive fragmentation rocket.
"As far as Human Rights Watch is aware, Armenian troops have Smerch multi-barrel rocket launchers, not the Nagorno-Karabakh forces. Therefore, it is entirely possible that Armenian troops attacked or supplied ammunition to Nagorno-Karabakh forces. Armenia should immediately stop using cluster munitions and providing them to the Nagorno-Karabakh forces.
There is a reason why this brutal weapon is banned by international agreement, and its use in the city center is a demonstration of disregard for civilian life and international law," said Belkis Wille, the Senior Crisis and Conflict Researcher at Human Rights Watch.
According to him, all countries should condemn using cluster munitions in the war over Nagorno-Karabakh and urge to stop using them.
On October 29, Amnesty International confirmed the use of cluster munitions by Armenia in the bombing of the Azerbaijani city of Barda.
