Cessation of hostilities in Nagorno Karabakh: Azerbaijan confirms the suspension of its military operation

Azerbaijan confirmed this Wednesday the suspension of the military operation that it had launched on Tuesday against the separatist territory of Nagorno Karabakh after the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic populated by Armenians agreed to surrender and completely disarm their armed formations.

“Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh, which was received through the Russian peacekeeping contingent, an agreement was reached to suspend anti-terrorist measures on September 20, 2023 at 13:00” said the Azeri Ministry of Defense.

“Thanks to the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh, an agreement was reached on the complete cessation of hostilities,” the Karabakh Information Center said in a statement.

He explained that “an agreement was reached on the withdrawal of the remaining units and military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia from the zone of deployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and the disbandment and complete disarmament of the armed formations of the 'Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army'”.

According to Nagorno Karabakh, the issues “raised by Azerbaijan and concerning the reintegration, guarantees of rights and security of Nagorno Karabakh Armenians” will be discussed at a meeting between representatives of the Baku and Nagorno Karabakh authorities in the town of Yevlaj on September 21 and “at subsequent meetings.”

According to the latest data from the Armenian side, at least 32 people died and more than 200 were injured in the Azerbaijan offensive.

The cessation of hostilities comes 24 hours after the Azerbaijani Army began bombing Nagorno-Karabakh in order to restore “constitutional order” in the separatist territory, populated by some 120,000 Armenians.

The enclave had little chance of resisting the new onslaught from Azerbaijan, which began the offensive three years after the last war for control of the enclave and after subjecting it to a blockade for more than nine months.

In December 2022, it cut the Lachin corridor, the only communication route between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

In the 44-day war in 2020, Armenia lost two-thirds of the territory in the Karabakh region that it controlled after the 1992-1994 conflict, including part of the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, but not the capital, Stepanakert.