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Conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, the disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan, has seen tensions escalate with new fighting this week, reports the article in the American edition of Guardian Liberty Voice. Though the current conflict began in 1988 its roots date back to the beginning of the previous century.

“At the end of World War I, the British established a provisional government, and gave Azerbaijan control over Nagorno Karabakh, causing tensions to escalate in the disputed territory, especially among the ethnic Armenians who are a majority of the regional population. Armenians call the area, Artsakh, as it was the region’s name when it was an important province in the ancient Kingdom of Armenia,” reads the publication.

According to the article, one of the reasons for the conflict was the Soviet practice of creating separate republics by mixing ethnic populations, as this assured control by Moscow. The article also notes that Joseph Stalin initially promised that Armenia would retain control of the territory. However, the Bolsheviks were courting Turkey as an ally at the time, and Turkey had closer ties to Azerbaijan. The Soviet authorities formed the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast which became a part of the Azerbaijan Socialist Soviet Republic (AzSSR) in 1923.

The author notes that as a result of the conflict that started in 1988 the region came under Armenian control.

“Russia negotiated a truce between the factions in 1994, but the area has remained a hot spot, with tensions flaring periodically,” says the publication. Current efforts to broker a resolution are led by the OSCE Minsk Group, which is co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made a statement on that a further escalation is unacceptable.

“Last Friday Azerbaijani forces began shelling Armenian defensive positions with rocket launchers,” writes the article.

The war between Armenia and Azerbaijan has proved costly to both sides. In recent days, Nagorno Karabakh residents have seen tensions escalate in this disputed territory, yet with no lasting resolution in sight, concludes the author.