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The UN Security Council on Tuesday called on Azerbaijani and Armenian forces to "immediately stop fighting" over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, after three days of deadly clashes.

The council's 15 members "voiced support for the call by the Secretary General on the sides to immediately stop fighting, de-escalate tensions and return to meaningful negotiations without delay," read a statement adopted unanimously during emergency talks on the conflict.

The council members said they "strongly condemn the use of force and regret the loss of life and the toll on the civilian population" in the region.

In the short statement, the council expressed concern over "reports of large scale military actions along the Line of Contact" in the conflict zone.

The council affirmed its "full support" for the central role of the co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Minsk Group (the U.S., Russia and France), who have mediated peace efforts.

It urged all parties to work closely with the co-chairs "for an urgent resumption of dialogue without preconditions."

Diplomats said the text, which was approved at the end of a meeting that lasted about an hour, was in fact proposed by the three co-chairs of the OSCE's Minsk Group, facilitating its adoption.