Cease-Fire Agreement Reached Between Azerbaijani and Armenian Forces in Nagorno-Karabakh

Reports from Armenian news sources have confirmed the establishment of a cease-fire agreement on Wednesday to quell the two days of intense fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The announcement, made by the authorities of the separatist Azerbaijani region, is set to take effect at 1 p.m. local time, according to the reports.

This cease-fire accord has been achieved through negotiations involving the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in the region. The primary provisions of the agreement include the withdrawal of Armenian military units and equipment from Nagorno-Karabakh and the disarming of local defense forces. However, no further details regarding the agreement have been disclosed at this time.

The recent developments leading to this cease-fire followed explosions that rocked parts of Nagorno-Karabakh earlier in the day. Azerbaijani forces initiated heavy artillery fire on Armenian positions in the region on Tuesday, resulting in casualties and injuries, as reported by local officials.

Azerbaijan has labeled this artillery fire as an “anti-terrorist operation” and has stated its intent to continue until the separatist government of Nagorno-Karabakh disbands itself, and what it refers to as “illegal Armenian military formations” surrender. They have maintained that their targets are exclusively military in nature, but the visible damage on the streets of Stepanakert, the regional capital, tells a different story, with shattered shop windows and vehicles bearing the marks of shrapnel.

These blasts have raised concerns that a full-scale war could reignite in the region, renewing the conflict that has persisted for over three decades between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the mountainous territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The most recent major conflict in the area occurred over six weeks in 2020.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry declared the commencement of the military operation on Tuesday, shortly after reporting casualties resulting from land mine explosions in Nagorno-Karabakh. The ministry has not provided specific details but indicated that high-precision weapons were being used to incapacitate front-line positions and Armenian military assets, emphasizing that only legitimate military targets were under attack.

Russia’s defense ministry reported on Wednesday that their peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh had evacuated over 2,000 civilians, although precise destinations were not disclosed.

In contrast, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry denied the presence of its weapons or troops in Nagorno-Karabakh and dismissed reports of sabotage and land mines in the region as falsehoods. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashiyan accused Azerbaijan of attempting to involve Armenia in hostilities.

Officials representing the ethnic Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh released a statement, asserting that Stepanakert and surrounding villages were experiencing “intense shelling.” The region’s military indicated that Azerbaijan was deploying aircraft, artillery, missile systems, and drones in the conflict.

The residents of Stepanakert have sought refuge in basements and bomb shelters, and the fighting has disrupted the supply of electricity. Ongoing food shortages in the area persist, as humanitarian aid delivered on Monday was unable to be distributed due to the resumption of shelling in the evening, following a brief halt in the afternoon.

According to Nagorno-Karabakh’s human rights ombudsman Geghan Stepanyan, 32 individuals, including seven civilians, have lost their lives, with over 200 others sustaining injuries. An earlier report from Stepanyan mentioned the tragic death of one child, with 11 children among the wounded.

The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office alleged that Armenian forces fired large-caliber weapons at Shusha, a city in Nagorno-Karabakh under Azerbaijani control, resulting in the death of one civilian. However, both of these claims remain unverified.

Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories had been under ethnic Armenian control since the end of a separatist war in 1994. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan regained control of these areas, along with parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, during the 2020 conflict. The armistice that followed placed Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of smuggling weapons into the region since then, leading to a blockade of the road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and causing shortages of food and medicine.

Protests erupted in central Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, on Tuesday, with demonstrators blocking streets and demanding that authorities take action to protect Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Some clashes with police occurred, reportedly involving the use of stun grenades. According to Armenia’s Health Ministry, a total of 34 individuals were injured in these clashes, including 16 policemen and 18 civilians, with ongoing medical assistance provided to half of them.

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More about Cease-fire agreement

• Cease-fire deal reached in Nagorno-Karabakh
• Nagorno-Karabakh conflict background
• Details on Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh
• Azerbaijan’s allegations of weapons smuggling
• Armenia’s response to smuggling allegations
• Current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
• Casualty reports in the conflict
• Protests in Yerevan and their consequences