World Bulletin / News Desk

Russia expressed concern on Saturday over a flare-up of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway enclave of Azerbaijan with a majority Armenian population, and said any escalation would be unacceptable.

At least 10 people were killed in skirmishes this week between Azeri government forces and ethnic Armenians controlling Nagorno-Karabakh, officials from the two sides said on Friday.

"We see the events of recent days as a serious violation of agreements on a ceasefire and declared intentions to achieve a regulation (of the conflict) through political means," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"We take the position that any further escalation is unacceptable," it said.

Fighting between ethnic Azeris and Armenians erupted in 1991 and a ceasefire was called in 1994. But Azerbaijan and Armenia have regularly traded accusations of further violence around Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Azeri-Armenian border.