The casualties of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, fought between Armenia, the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh internationally recognized as the territory of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan, officially number in the low thousands.[1][2] According to official figures released by the belligerents, Armenia and Artsakh lost 3,825 troops,[3] with 187 servicemen missing in action,[4] while Azerbaijan lost 2,906 troops, with 6 missing in action.[5] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the deaths of 541 Syrian fighters or mercenaries fighting for Azerbaijan.[6] However, it is believed that the sides downplayed the number of their own casualties and exaggerated the numbers of enemy casualties and injuries.[7]
The total number of reported civilian fatalities on both sides is at least 185, the whereabouts of 21 Armenian civilians remain unknown. Civilian areas, including major cities, have been hit, particularly Stepanakert (Khankendi), Martuni (Khojavend), Martakert (Aghdere), Shushi (Shusha) in the Republic of Artsakh and Ganja, Barda and Tartar in Azerbaijan, with many buildings and homes destroyed.[8][9][10]
^On 21 October 2021, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan published a list of dead servicemen. It said 2,908 people were killed during the war, with another 6 missing in action,[1] although at least two of the soldiers named were killed after the conflict ended,[2][3]Archived 2022-04-08 at the Wayback Machine leaving a total of 2,906 servicemen confirmed killed in the war.
^Cite error: The named reference SOHR541 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).