2020 Barda missile attacks

Overview

The Barda missile attacks was a series of three air attacks on the city of Barda, as well as the villages of Əyricə and Qarayusifli in the same district, in Azerbaijan during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. The attacks involved BM-30 Smerch missiles with cluster warheads, and resulted in 27 civilian deaths.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Barda missile attacks marked a significant escalation in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War through the deliberate or indiscriminate targeting of civilian population centers. Three air attacks struck the city of Barda and the nearby villages of Əyricə and Qarayusifli in the same district, killing 27 civilians. The use of BM-30 Smerch missiles with cluster warheads against populated areas drew international attention to the humanitarian dimension of the conflict and raised questions about proportionality and the conduct of hostilities. Within the broader war, the attacks underscored that urban and civilian areas behind the immediate front lines were not insulated from the fighting.