Azerbaijan’s takeover: Post surrender, Karabakh seeks security guarantee

Goris, September 21

Ethnic Armenians, mostly Christians, in Nagorno-Karabakh need security guarantees before giving up their weapons, an adviser to their leader said on Thursday, a day after Azerbaijan, dominated by Muslims, declared it had brought the breakaway region back under its control.

Karabakh Armenian authorities accused Azerbaijan of violating ceasefire agreed on Wednesday after a Azerbaijani offensive forced separatists to surrender and agree to disarm. Baku’s defence ministry rubbished the allegation regardig ceasefire violation. “We have an agreement on the cessation of military action but we await a final agreement. Talks are going on,” David Babayan, adviser to Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian leader Samvel Shahramanyan, said. — Reuters