Turkey's defense minister has announced that all 20 personnel on board a military cargo plane that crashed in Georgia have died.

A Turkish military cargo plane has crashed in Georgia near the Azerbaijan border, according to Turkish and Georgian authorities.

Residents and politicians in Armenia and Azerbaijan are responding with cautious hope after their leaders signed a U.S.-brokered agreement aimed at ending decades of hostilities.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed a peace agreement at the White House, aiming to end decades of conflict.

Officials say police in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku searched the offices of Russia’s state-funded news outlet Sputnik amid rising tensions between the two countries after the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijanis during a police raid last week in a Russian city.

Brazil’s air force says several of its investigators are working with colleagues from three other nations to analyze data from the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed in Kazakhstan on Dec. 25, killing 38 people.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev says the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.

U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people.

The Wednesday crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan has killed 38 of 67 people on board.

Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured.

An Azerbaijani airliner with 67 people onboard has crashed near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau and an official says 38 people were killed and 29 survived.

A new draft text released early Thursday which will form the basis of any deal reached at United Nations climate talks on money for developing countries to transition to clean energy and adapt to climate change left out a crucial sticking point: how much wealthy nations will pay.

As representatives from nearly 200 countries, along with hundreds of journalists, arrived in Azerbaijan in November for the U.N. climate conference known this year as COP29, they bring with them a level of scrutiny the hosts aren’t accustomed to — and don’t often tolerate.

Afghanistan’s first delegation at United Nations climate talks since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 has arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Diplomats from across the world will descend on the Azerbaijani capital of Baku for the annual climate summit, known as COP29, to discuss how to avoid the increasing threats from climate change in a place that was one of the birthplaces of the oil industry.

Polls closed Sunday evening in Azerbaijan's snap parliamentary election, the first since it regained full control of Karabakh, a former breakaway territory, in a lightning offensive last year.

A human rights organization representing ethnic Armenians has submitted evidence to the International Criminal Court arguing that Azerbaijan is committing an ongoing genocide against them.

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has officially won another term in office with 92.12% of the vote, according to the country's Central Election Commission.

Preliminary results of Azerbaijan’s presidential elections show incumbent Ilham Aliyev headed to a resounding victory, as expected.

Hundreds of Azerbaijani soldiers have paraded through the capital city of the Karabakh region that came under full control of Azerbaijan in September after a lightning rout of ethnic Armenian forces.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has raised his nation’s flag over the capital city of a former breakaway region in a ceremony reaffirming Baku’s control over it.

The sudden capitulation of ethnic Armenian forces in a separatist region of Azerbaijan raises hopes for the return of thousands of people who fled the territory decades ago.

The last bus carrying ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh has left the region, completing a weeklong, grueling exodus in which more than 80% of its residents have fled after Azerbaijan reclaimed the area in a lightning military operation last month.

Azerbaijan's prosecutor general says the country has issued an arrest warrant for former Nagorno-Karabakh separatist leader Arayik Harutyunyan.

Armenia finds itself facing multiple challenges after being suddenly thrust into one of the worst political crises in its decades of independence following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Armenia's government says an ethnic Armenian exodus has nearly emptied Nagorno-Karabakh of residents since Azerbaijan attacked and ordered the breakaway region’s militants to disarm.

Armenian officials say more than 80% of Nagorno-Karabakh's original population have fled the ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan for neighboring Armenia.

The separatist government of Nagorno-Karabakh says it will dissolve itself and the unrecognized republic will cease to exist by the end of the year.

Thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents are fleeing their homes after Azerbaijan's swift military operation to reclaim control of the breakaway region.

A powerful blast has rocked Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region as ethnic Armenians are streaming out of the breakaway territory following its retaking by the Azerbaijani military.

More badly needed humanitarian aid was on its way to the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh via both Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Russia's Defense Ministry says that ethnic Armenian separatists in Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh are surrendering their arms to Russian peacekeepers.

Azerbaijan regained control of its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in a deadly two-day military offensive and held initial talks with representatives of its ethnic Armenian population on reintegrating the area into the mainly Muslim country.

Azerbaijan claimed full control of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region after local Armenian forces there agreed to lay down their weapons following the latest outbreak of fighting in the decades-long separatist conflict.

The news of a cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh, a day after Azerbaijan shelled Armenian forces, toned down fears of a third full-scale war over the region, But it also left significant unresolved questions.

Azerbaijan’s forces fired artillery at Armenian positions in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lawmakers in a breakaway Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan have elected a new separatist president in a move that was strongly condemned by the Azerbaijani authorities.

The former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is warning that Azerbaijan is preparing genocide against ethnic Armenians in its Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Armenia and Azerbaijan have made “further progress” toward a peace agreement in three days of U.S.-hosted talks between the two former Soviet republics that have repeatedly clashed over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country is ready to open a consulate in Shusha, a city that Azerbaijan took from Armenian forces in a war in 2020.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Armenia and Azerbaijan have made “tangible progress” in four days of U.S.-hosted peace talks between the two former Soviet republics that have repeatedly clashed over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia’s prime minister has accused a Moscow-dominated security alliance of leaving his country in the cold in the face of a threat of renewed hostilities with neighboring Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is appealing to the United Nations’ highest court to urgently order Armenia to stop the laying of land mines and booby traps on Azerbaijani territory and disclose the location of those already planted.

Tensions between Armenia and Armenia are high again two years after both countries ended a war that killed about 6,800 soldiers and displaced around 90,000 civilians.

Armenia’s prime minister says his country has refused to host military drills planned by a Russia-dominated security pact.

The leaders of Hungary, Romania, Georgia and Azerbaijan have finalized an agreement on an undersea electricity connector that could become a new power source for the European Union amid a crunch on energy supplies caused by the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to help broker a settlement to a conflict between the two ex-Soviet neighbors.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday in a bid to ease tensions and maintain a fragile ceasefire between the ex-Soviet countries and rivals following the largest outbreak of hostilities in more than two years.

A U.S. congressional delegation headed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has arrived in Armenia.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she plans to make a weekend visit to Armenia, where a cease-fire was holding for a second day after an outburst of fighting with neighboring Azerbaijan.

A cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan is holding following two days of fighting that killed 176 soldiers on both sides.

A flare-up in fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan has killed about 100 troops on both sides, fueling fears of even wider hostilities between the longtime adversaries.

A senior Armenian official says that Armenia and Azerbaijan have negotiated a cease-fire to end a flare-up of fighting that has killed 155 troops from both sides.

Fighting on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has killed about 100 troops and fed fears of broader hostilities breaking out between the longtime adversaries.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels on April 6 to lay the groundwork for peace talks to end the decades-long conflict over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for talks.

Armenia’s prime minister says the country has reached an agreement with Azerbaijan to establish a hotline between their defense chiefs after last week’s deadly clashes on their border.

Tens of thousands have rallied in Azerbaijan’s capital to mark the one year anniversary of the country’s victory in the six-week battle over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia is taking its decades long territorial dispute with neighboring Azerbaijan — that erupted into armed conflict again last year — to the United Nations’ highest court.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry is reporting that three of its troops were killed and two more were wounded in clashes with Azerbaijani forces on the border between the two ex-Soviet nations.

A strong explosion has shaken the Caspian Sea area where Azerbaijan has extensive offshore oil and gas fields.

Early results in Armenia's snap parliamentary elections show the party of the acting prime minister far ahead of rivals.

Armenia’s prime minister says he has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for military assistance amid simmering tensions with Azerbaijan in the wake of an armed conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Aliyev marked the Nowruz holiday by lighting a ceremonial fire outside Shusha, a culturally revered city that Azerbaijan took from Armenian forces in last autumn's war. Shusha, a center of Azeri culture for centuries, came under Armenian control in 1992 in fighting over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region. (Vugar Amrullaev, Azerbaijani Presidential Press Office via AP)MOSCOW – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev marked the Nowruz holiday Saturday by lighting a ceremonial fire outside Shusha, a culturally revered city that Azerbaijan took from Armenian forces in last autumn’s war. Shusha, a center of Azeri culture for centuries, came under Armenian control in 1992 in fighting over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region. “Today we are celebrating Nowruz in our ancient city Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan.

Opposition demonstrators march to the government buildings during a rally to pressure Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign in Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. (Hrant Khachatryan/PAN Photo via AP)YEREVAN – About 15,000 protesters calling for the resignation of Armenia’s prime minister marched through the capital Saturday as pressure on the leader intensified after the country's president rejected his order to dismiss the chief of the military general staff. Protests against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arose in November after he signed a cease-fire ending a six-week war with Azerbaijan over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. He ordered the dismissal of the chief of the general staff, but the order was subject to approval by Armenia's largely ceremonial president. AdAt the protest rally, opposition politician Naira Zograbyan, who once was a journalist at a newspaper owned by Pashinyan, denounced the prime minister.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan waves to supporters during a rally in his support in the center of Yerevan, Armenia, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. Armenia's prime minister has spoken of an attempted military coup after facing the military's General Staff demand for him to step down. AdIn response, the General Staff called for Pashinyan's resignation, but he doubled down and ordered that the chief of the General Staff be dismissed. The Russian Defense Ministry said it was “bewildered” to hear Pashinyan's claim because the Armenian military hadn’t fired an Iskander missile during the conflict. It added that the Armenian prime minister had apparently been misled.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, attends a talks with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, second left, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, left, in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. Putin hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for talks after six weeks of fierce fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh that ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal in November. The talks came two months after a Russia-brokered truce ended weeks of fierce fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces that left more than 6,000 people dead. Under the peace deal, Russia has deployed about 2,000 peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh for at least five years. Putin noted Monday that senior officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia will set up a working group to discuss specific moves related to the restoration of transport routes in the region.

(Vahram Baghdasaryan, Photolure via AP)YEREVAN – Armenia's prime minister said Friday he was ready to discuss the possibility of holding an early parliamentary election, but rejected opposition demands to step down over his handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan. Opposition supporters have rallied for weeks, urging Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to step down over the Nov. 10 peace deal that saw Azerbaijan reclaim control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas. Pashinyan has defended the peace deal as a painful but necessary move to prevent Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region. Pashinyan added that he was ready to hold consultations with the nation's political parties to discuss calling an early parliamentary election next year. The peace deal was celebrated in Azerbaijan as a major triumph, and triggered outrage and mass protests in Armenia.

(Vahram Baghdasaryan, Photolure via AP)YEREVAN – Police in the Armenian capital detained dozens of people on Thursday during protests against the country's prime minister, who is being pressured to resign over his handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. The Russian-brokered peace agreement stipulated that Armenia hand over control of some areas it holds outside Nagorno-Karabakh’s borders. The peace deal was celebrated in Azerbaijan as a major triumph, but sparked outrage and mass protests in Armenia where thousands repeatedly took to the streets. Pashinyan has defended the deal as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Opposition supporters in Armenia on Tuesday ramped up the pressure on the prime minister to resign over his handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan, setting up a protest tent camp on the capital's main square. Tens of thousands of demonstrators swarmed government buildings in Yerevan, chanting “Nikol, go away!” Several hours into the rally, opposition supporters erected tents on Yerevan's main square. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. The peace deal was hailed in Azerbaijan as a major triumph, but sparked outrage and mass protests in Armenia where thousands repeatedly took to the streets. Pashinyan has defended the deal as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan comforts a woman during a march of remembrance of the heroes killed in a war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, in Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. Both opponents and supporters of Armenia's prime minister rallied Saturday as the nation paid tribute to the thousands who died in fighting with Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. (Tigran Mehrabyan/PAN Photo via AP)YEREVAN – Both opponents and supporters of Armenia's prime minister rallied Saturday as the nation paid tribute to the thousands who died in fighting with Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That war left Nagorno-Karabakh itself and substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands.

YEREVAN – Armenian officials on Saturday accused Azerbaijan of breaching a peace deal that ended six weeks of fierce fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. Separatist officials in Nagorno-Karabakh said the Azerbaijani military launched an attack late Friday that left three local ethnic Armenian servicemen wounded. Russian peacekeepers deployed to the region to monitor the peace deal reported a violation of the cease-fire in the Gadrut region on Friday. That war left Nagorno-Karabakh itself and substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands. The peace deal was a major shock for Armenians, triggering protests calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikola Pashinyan, who has refused to step down.

Azerbaijani troops march past during a parade in Baku, Azerbaijan, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. A military parade has been held in the Azerbaijani capital in celebration of a peace deal with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh that saw Azerbaijan reclaim much of the separatist region along with surrounding areas. (AP Photo)MOSCOW – A military parade was held Thursday in the Azerbaijani capital in celebration of the peace deal with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh that saw Azerbaijan reclaim much of the separatist region along with surrounding areas. The agreement took force exactly a month ago and put an end to six weeks of fierce fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.

(AP Photo/Hrant Khachatryan)YEREVAN – Thousands of protesters converged on the parliament building in Armenia's capital Wednesday to push for the resignation of the ex-Soviet nation's prime minister over his handling of the fighting with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. About 15,000 protesters marched through downtown Yerevan to the parliament building, chanting “Nikol go away!”The opposition has been pushing for Pashinyan's resignation since the Russia-brokered peace deal took effect on Nov. 10. The Armenian Apostolic Church and all three of the country’s former presidents have joined the demand for Pashinyan to step down. Undeterred, the prime minister told lawmakers in parliament Wednesday that the nation needs consolidation in the current difficult period. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched across the Armenian capital Saturday to push for the resignation of the ex-Soviet nation's prime minister over his handling of the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia's opposition parties warned Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan there would be civil disobedience across the country if he does not resign by noon on Tuesday. Azerbaijan completed reclaiming those territories on Tuesday when it took over the Lachin region located between the Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Armenian opposition leaders hold Pashinyan responsible for failing to negotiate an earlier end to the hostilities at terms that could have been more beneficial for Armenia. The Russian troops will also ensure safe transit between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the Lachin region.

The hostilities ended Nov. 10 with a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw Azerbaijan reclaim the territories that Armenian forces had controlled for more than a quarter-century. Azerbaijan had not released information on its military casualties until Thursday when the Defense Ministry said 2,783 troops were killed and more than 100 are still missing. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. Azerbaijan completed reclaiming those territories on Tuesday when it took over the Lachin region located between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. On Thursday, 17 Armenian opposition parties named veteran politician Vazgen Manukyan as their candidate for prime minister.

(AP Photo/Sergei Grits)BAKU – Azerbaijan on Tuesday completed reclaiming territory ceded by Armenia under a Russia-brokered peace deal that ended six weeks of fierce fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That war left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but large chunks of surrounding lands in Armenian hands. The Lachin region, which lies between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, was the last of the three areas on the rim of Nagorno-Karabakh to be surrendered by Armenian forces on Tuesday. The Russian troops will also ensure safe transit between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the Lachin region.

Azerbaijanis celebrate entry of troops in Nagorno-Karabakh's Aghdam region in Baku, Azerbaijan, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. “Today, with a feeling of endless pride, I am informing my people about the liberation of Aghdam,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an address to the nation. “Aghdam is ours!”Crowds of people carrying national flags gathered in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to celebrate the handover. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. Before they got there, they were confronted by police and ethnic Armenian villagers; two of the protesters were shot to death.

ANKARA – Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday granted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government permission to deploy peacekeepers to Azerbaijan to monitor a cease-fire deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia that aims to end the conflict in the region. Last week, the defense ministers of Russia and Turkey signed a memorandum to create a joint monitoring center in Azerbaijan, although technical details of the mission are still being worked out. Russian officials have said that Ankara’s involvement will be limited to the work of the monitoring center on Azerbaijani soil, and Turkish peacekeepers wouldn't go to Nagorno-Karabakh. The motion for the deployment in Azerbaijan was backed by four out of five parties in Turkey's parliament. Erdogan's government said the Turkish peacekeepers were crucial for the region's peace and welfare and for Turkey's national interests.

Armenians who are going to leave separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh dig up the remains of their ancestors to bring them from the territory, which is to be handed over to Azerbaijanis. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)YEREVAN – Armenia's foreign minister resigned Monday amid political turmoil that has engulfed the country following a cease-fire deal for the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh that calls for ceding territory to longtime adversary Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That war left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands. Russia's Defense Ministry reported that the peacekeepers accompanied about 1,200 people returning to Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia since Saturday.

Ethnic Armenian forces had controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and sizeable adjacent territories since the 1994 end of a separatist war. But Azerbaijan agreed to delay the takeover until Nov. 25 after a request from Armenia. But the territory then came under Armenian control and Armenians moved in. Azerbaijan accuses Armenians of desecrating Muslim sites during their decades of control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding territories, including housing livestock in mosques. The cease-fire agreement and cession of territories was a strong blow to Armenia and prompted protests against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

Under an agreement ending weeks of intense fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, some Armenian-held territories adjacent to the region are passing to Azerbaijan. The move gripped its 600 people with fear and anger so deep that they destroyed the homes they once loved. The settlement — called Karvachar in Armenian — is legally part of Azerbaijan, but it has been under the control of ethnic Armenians since the 1994 end of a war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. After years in which sporadic clashes broke out between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces, full-scale fighting began in late September this year. Two days after Azerbaijan announced it had taken Shusha, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a Russia-brokered cease-fire under which territory that Armenia occupies outside the formal borders of Nagorno-Karabakh will be gradually ceded.

Protesters with Armenian flags walk along a street during a protest against an agreement to halt fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, in Yerevan, Armenia, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)YEREVAN – Thousands massed Thursday in Armenia's capital to protest the terms of a cease-fire agreement that gave territorial concessions to Azerbaijan in the long-running conflict over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The rally marked the third straight day of demonstrations triggered by the truce to halt more than six weeks of deadly fighting between the two ex-Soviet nations. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. The Moscow-brokered agreement calls for Armenia to turn over control of some areas its holds outside Nagorno-Karabakh's borders to Azerbaijan.

Protesters wave an Armenian national flag during a protest against an agreement to halt fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, in Yerevan, Armenia, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)YEREVAN – Thousands of people gathered in the capital of Armenia on Wednesday to protest the country's agreement with Azerbaijan to halt weeks of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. The agreement calls for Armenia to turn over control of some areas its holds outside the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh. They include the Lachin region, which the main road leading from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia passes through. The agreement calls for the road, the so-called Lachin Corridor, to remain open and to be protected by Russian peacekeepers.

Scores of Russian peacekeepers were heading to Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday morning, hours after Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to halt the fighting over the separatist region in a pact signed with Moscow which envisions the deployment of nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers and territorial concessions. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)MOSCOW – Dozens of Russian peacekeepers destined for Nagorno-Karabakh began deploying Tuesday, hours after Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to halt fighting over the separatist region and amid signs the cease-fire would hold where others hadn’t. The truce came after significant advances by Azerbaijani forces that the Armenian-backed leader of Nagorno-Karabakh said made it impossible for his side to carry on. The agreement calls for the road, the so-called Lachin Corridor, to remain open and be protected by Russian peacekeepers. A total of 1,960 Russian peacekeepers are to be deployed under a five-year mandate.

(AP Photo)YEREVAN – Armenia and Azerbaijan announced an agreement early Tuesday to halt fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan under a pact signed with Russia that calls for deployment of nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers and territorial concessions. Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a 1994 truce ended a separatist war in which an estimated 30,000 people died. Armenians will also turn over the Lachin region, which holds the main road leading from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. The agreement calls for the road, the so-called Lachin Corridor, to remain open and be protected by Russian peacekeepers. The agreement also calls for transport links to be established through Armenia linking Azerbaijan and its western exclave of Nakhcivan, which is surrounded by Armenia, Iran and Turkey.

Azerbaijanis with the national flag celebrate after the country's President claimed Azerbaijani forces have taken Shushi, a key city in the Nagorno-Karabakh region that has been under the control of ethnic Armenians for decades in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. (AP Photo)MOSCOW – Azerbaijani forces have taken control of the strategically key city of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabakh where fighting with Armenia has raged for more than a month, the country’s president said Sunday. In a televised address to the nation, President Ilham Aliyev said “Shusha is ours — Karabakh is ours,” using the Azerbaijani version of the city’s name. Along with its strategic value, Shushi is culturally significant as a onetime center of Azerbaijani culture, noted for music and poets. Nagorno-Karabakh is within Azerbaijan, but has been under the control of local ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since 1994.

A view of a room of a house damaged by shelling by Azerbaijan's artillery during a military conflict in Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Friday, Nov. 6, 2020. Fighting over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh entered sixth week on Sunday, with Armenian and Azerbaijani forces blaming each other for new attacks. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. Azerbaijani authorities haven’t disclosed their military losses, but say the fighting has killed at least 92 civilians and wounded over 400. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that for hostilities to end Armenian forces must withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Fighting over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh entered sixth week on Sunday, with Armenian and Azerbaijani forces blaming each other for new attacks. “We are certainly worried about the internationalization of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the involvement of militants from the Middle East,” Lavrov said in an interview with the Russian business daily Kommersant. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. Armenian officials accuse Turkey of being directly involved in the conflict and sending mercenaries from Syria to fight on Azerbaijan’s side. Azerbaijani troops have reclaimed control of several regions on the fringes of Nagorno-Karabakh and pressed their offensive into the separatist territory from the south, trying to cut a link between the separatist territory and Armenia.

Fighting over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh entered sixth week on Sunday, with Armenian and Azerbaijani forces blaming each other for new attacks. (AP Photo)IN NAGORNO-In a wooded area of Nagorno-Karabakh, new recruits to the war besieging the region are underwent a ritual Monday they hope will help them endure the fight — baptism into the Armenian Apostolic Church. The region Azerbaijan has been under the control of local ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the 1994 end of a separatist war that killed an estimated 30,000 people. The Nagorno-Karabakh defense ministry said Monday that 1,177 Armenian fighters have died in the war, including the region's deputy defense minister. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that to end hostilities, Armenian forces must withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Women take refuge in a bomb shelter in Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. Fighting over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh entered sixth week on Sunday, with Armenian and Azerbaijani forces blaming each other for new attacks. (AP Photo)YEREVAN – Fighting over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh entered a sixth week Sunday with Armenian and Azerbaijani forces blaming each other for new attacks. The ministry also said Armenian forces shelled settlements in the regions of Terter and Aghjabedi of Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994.

The fighting represents the biggest escalation in decades in a long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the separatist territory. As Azerbaijani troops pushed farther into Nagorno-Karabakh, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to quickly discuss possible security aid to Armenia. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. With Azerbaijani troops moving deeper into Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia’s prime minister made his first public plea for Russia's assistance since the latest fighting started. During more than a month of fighting, Armenia and Azerbaijan have repeatedly accused each other of taking the fighting beyond Nagorno-Karabakh.

Explosions are seen behind the mountains during a military conflict outside Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. (AP Photo)YEREVAN – Armenia and Azerbaijan promised Friday to avoid shelling residential areas amid the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, a pledge that follows a day of talks in Geneva even as Azerbaijani troops pushed deeper into the separatist territory. The co-chairs said in a statement issued after the talks that Armenia and Azerbaijan also promised to offer their proposals regarding possible cease-fire verification mechanisms. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. The Azerbaijani military reported that areas in the Terter and Gubadli regions of Azerbaijan came under Armenian shelling.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist leader, Arayik Harutyunyan, said Azerbaijani troops had advanced to within 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) of the strategically placed town of Shushi. “The one who controls Shushi controls Nagorno-Karabakh,” Harutyunyan said in a video address from the town's cathedral, which was severely damaged by Azerbaijani shelling this month. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. Separatist authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh accused Azerbaijani forces Thursday of shelling Stepanakert, Shushi and Martakert with Smerch multiple rocket systems, a devastating Soviet-designed weapon intended to ravage wide areas with explosives and cluster munitions. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry denied using aviation and accused Armenian forces of shelling the Terter, Goranboy and Barda regions of Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh officials said Azerbaijani forces hit Stepanakert, the region's capital, and the nearby town of Shushi with the Smerch long-range multiple rocket systems, killing one civilian and wounding two more. (AP Photo)YEREVAN – Rockets hit a hospital and residential areas Wednesday amid deadly fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh that has raged for more than a month despite a U.S.-brokered cease-fire. In Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani rocket hit a maternity hospital but inflicted no casualties. Nagorno-Karabakh officials said Azerbaijani forces hit Stepanakert, the region's capital, and the nearby town of Shushi with Smerch long-range multiple rocket systems, a devastating Soviet-designed weapon intended to ravage wide areas with explosives and cluster munitions. By then, Armenian forces not only held Nagorno-Karabakh itself but also captured substantial areas outside the territory’s borders.

Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh is raging, unimpeded by a U.S.-brokered cease-fire, while Armenia and Azerbaijan are trading blame for the deal's quick unraveling. (AP Photo)YEREVAN – Fighting over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh raged on Tuesday, unimpeded by a U.S.-brokered cease-fire, while Armenia and Azerbaijan traded blame for the deal's quick unraveling. Azerbaijan accused Armenia of striking the Barda region with rockets, killing four civilians, including a 2-year-old girl, and wounding 13 others. By then, Armenian forces not only held Nagorno-Karabakh itself but also captured substantial areas outside the territory’s borders. In Monday's televised address to the nation, He boasted about Azerbaijani forces retaking control over several areas in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan also accused Armenian forces of targeting its town of Terter and the Aghjabedi region. By Monday afternoon, “heavy battles” were taking place in the southeast of the region, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Ovannisian said. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. In an address to the nation on Monday, Aliyev once again took aim at the Minsk Group. “For almost 30 years, co-chairs of the Minsk Group have been trying to reconcile Azerbaijan with the process of freezing the conflict,” Aliyev said.

Smoke rises after shelling by Azerbaijan's artillery during a military conflict in Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. The U.N. chief urged the parties to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh to deliver aid and “to make concrete steps towards a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Dujarric said. On Friday, Pompeo hosted the Armenian and Azerbaijan foreign ministers for separate talks, but the fighting raged on unabated. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said Armenian forces must withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh to end the fighting.

Heavy fighting raged Friday over Nagorno-Karabakh even as top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan visited Washington for negotiations on settling the neighboring countries' decades-long conflict. The heavy shelling forced residents of Stepanakert, the regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, into shelters, as emergency teams rushed to extinguish fires. Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said other towns in the region were also targeted by Azerbaijani artillery fire. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. “If this is the so-called cease-fire, let the whole world see this cease-fire.”Georgiy, who was born in Stepanakert, said he would stay home despite the fighting.