BAKU, Nov 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Azerbaijan’s army said Friday it had entered the district of Aghdam, the first of three to be handed back by Armenia as part of a Russian-brokered peace deal to end fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
“Units of the Azerbaijan Army entered the Aghdam region on Nov 20,”
Azerbaijan’s defence ministry said of the district, which had been controlled by Armenian separatists for nearly 30 years.
As part of last week’s peace deal, Armenia agreed to return some 15 to 20 percent of the Nagorno-Karabakh territory captured by Azerbaijan in recent fighting, including the historical town of Shusha.
Tensions between the two former Soviet Union countries reached new heights on Sept 27, when clashes between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces broke out over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and surrounding areas.
Nagorno-Karabakh is in Azerbaijan but has been dominated by ethnic Armenians for years.
The six-week conflict has killed more than 1,000 people, including civilians on both sides.
On Nov 10, the two countries signed a Russia-brokered agreement to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution. — NNN-AGENCIES