Ethnic Armenian officials in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh said on Monday that 21 more servicemen had been killed in fierce fighting with Azerbaijan, bringing its total military death toll to 223 since war broke out eight days ago.

The breakaway region came under Azeri bombardment again on Monday and an official there said the civilian death toll since the start of the fighting had risen to 18.

Azerbaijan does not disclose its military losses but says it has lost 25 civilians. Two civilians have been killed on Armenian territory.

The fighting began on Sept. 27 and has surged to its worst level since the 1990s, when some 30,000 people were killed.

First Published:Oct 5, 2020 6:32 PM IST