The UN security council will hold emergency talks behind closed doors on the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh, where fighting has entered a third day, The Guardian reports.

The meeting will be held at 5:00pm (2100 GMT) on Tuesday, September 29. Belgium formally requested the session, after France and Germany had led a push for it to be placed on the agenda.

As early as Sunday, Estonia - a non-permanent council member - emphasised the need for such talks about the outbreak of deadly violence in the region.

Britain also joined the European push for the talks, said diplomats, who added that a joint declaration could be issued at its conclusion – either by the entire council or its European members if a full consensus cannot be reached.

Azerbaijan launched a major offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military.