Nagorno-Karabakh separatists hand over weapons to Russian forces

Russia says pro-Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh have begun handing over weapons to peacekeepers , after the group surrendered to Azerbaijan.

The Russian Defense Ministry said today that the separatists had handed over six armored vehicles, more than 800 guns and about 5,000 rounds of ammunition. Russia has about 2,000 peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Russia said it had delivered more than 50 tonnes of food and other aid to the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also provided 28,000 diapers, blankets and fuel to the region.

Weapons of Nagorno-Karabakh forces are handed over. Photo: TNA

Nagorno-Karabak has been a flashpoint in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan for three decades. Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan after pro-Armenian separatists took control of the region in a war in the early 1990s. The two sides clashed several times since then, culminating in a war in 2020 that saw Azerbaijan reclaim part of the territory from the separatists.

In November 2020, Armenia agreed to sign a tripartite agreement with Azerbaijan and Russia to end six weeks of fierce fighting that killed thousands in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. Russia sent peacekeepers to the region to monitor the ceasefire. However, tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh have escalated again since late last year.

Azerbaijan launched an "anti-terrorist operation" in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19, taking control of many strategic positions within 24 hours. On September 20, pro-Armenian separatists signed a ceasefire agreement with the Azerbaijani army, agreeing to lay down their weapons and disband their forces.

The separatists also accepted a proposal from the Azerbaijani government for talks aimed at reintegrating the region into Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan said it planned to grant an “amnesty” to the separatists.

Location of Nagorno-Karabakh region. Graphic: France 24

Thanh Tam (According to Reuters, Guardian )

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