Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian Separatists Lay Down Their Arms

Armenian separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh surrendered and agreed to a ceasefire the day after Azerbaijan launched an attack in order to take control of the territory.

The agreement came into force at 13:00 on Wednesday, September 20, as the Armenians agreed to disarmament. Negotiations begin on Thursday and will determine the future of the area, the territory of Azerbaijan, and the Armenians living there.

“The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh (as the Armenians call Nagorno-Karabakh – ed.) accept the proposal of the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent for a ceasefire,” the message says. In the morning, Azerbaijani forces said they had “neutralized combat positions, military equipment, artillery, anti-aircraft missile positions, radio stations, and other military equipment belonging to the Armenian armed forces.”

The separatists and Baku accepted the Russian peacekeepers’ proposal for a ceasefire: thus, military escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region was frozen on Azerbaijani terms, and in the final hours, after Armenia’s request for a ceasefire and resumption of negotiations, they responded that the only solution would be capitulation. The Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh was chosen as the venue for the negotiations.