Bloodshed in the Caucasus

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are fighting for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory within Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union. The Armenians are fighting for self-determination and independence from Azerbaijan; the Azerbaijanis fight for the territorial integrity of their country. The conflict has spiraled into ground assaults, shelling and air raids, with the use of heavy artillery, missile systems, bomber planes and other advanced weaponry. Both sides in the conflict are guilty of violations of the laws of war, causing thousands of civilian deaths, maimed and wounded and creating about 400,000 refugees.