Nagorno-Karabakh combatants say negotiating their troops' withdrawal
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Talks are underway to ensure the return of the citizens displaced by the Azerbaijani operation to their homes.
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Samvel Shakhramanyan, the newly elected president of Nagorno-Karabakh, speaks in parliament in the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 9, 2023. (AP)
Following an Azerbaijani onslaught, Nagorno-Karabakh combatants announced the withdrawal of their soldiers from the disputed region.
They announced in a statement that “negotiations are underway with the Azerbaijani side under the auspices of Russian peacekeepers to organize the withdrawal process of troops and to ensure the return to their homes of the citizens displaced by military aggression.”
Civilians in the region, estimated at up to 120,000 people, are believed to be without power and basic necessities.
An advisor to Nagorno-Karabakh's leader said on Thursday that Nagorno-Karabakh combatants need security guarantees before handing over their weapons, a day after Azerbaijan announced it had retaken control of the enclave.
Armenian officials in Karabakh accused Azerbaijan of breaking a truce established on Wednesday after an Azerbaijani attack forced the combatants to disarm.
Three years since the end of the 2020 war, the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains volatile, as discreet cross-border skirmishes persisted all throughout the summer.
Just last week, on September 13, Pashinyan officially acknowledged that his country recognizes the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region as part of Azerbaijan's sovereign territory.
Here's all you need to know about the simmering tension in the #NagornoKarabakh region between #Armenia and #Azerbaijan. pic.twitter.com/bQ7ItwvpKA
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 19, 2023
