Azerbaijan says 16 killed in Nagorno-Karabakh fighting

This aerial view shows destroyed houses during the fighting at Martakert province in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Monday, April 4, 2016. Fighting raged Monday around Nagorno-Karabakh, with Azerbaijan saying it lost three of its troops in the separatist region while inflicting heavy casualties on Armenian forces and the Armenian president warning that the hostilities could slide into a full-scale war. (Davit Abrahamyan, PAN Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Ethnic Armenian fighters stand in backs of Kamaz military trucks on their way to a frontline at Martakert province in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Monday, April 4, 2016. Fighting raged Monday around Nagorno-Karabakh, with Azerbaijan saying it lost three of its troops in the separatist region while inflicting heavy casualties on Armenian forces and the Armenian president warning that the hostilities could slide into a full-scale war. (Hrayr Badalyan, PAN Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Ethnic Armenian fighters armed with a Kalashnikov machine gun stand at their positions on a road at Martakert province in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Monday, April 4, 2016. Fighting raged Monday around Nagorno-Karabakh, with Azerbaijan saying it lost three of its troops in the separatist region while inflicting heavy casualties on Armenian forces and the Armenian president warning that the hostilities could slide into a full-scale war. (Vahan Stepanyan, PAN Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Azerbaijan says 16 troops have been killed and more injured in the past two days of fighting against separatists in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Fighting in what was a dormant conflict for over two decades erupted over the weekend with each side blaming the other for the escalation and using heavy weaponry.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a part of Azerbaijan, has been controlled by local ethnic Armenian forces since a war there ended in 1994 with no clear resolution to the region's future.

Azerbaijan's defense ministry said on Tuesday the Karabakh militia continued to shell its positions Monday night.

In a much-anticipated mediation attempt, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be traveling to Azerbaijan's capital on Thursday while Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will be in Armenia's Yerevan on the same day.