Azerbaijanis violate truce shelling Stepanakert
YEREVAN, September 21. /ARKA/. The Azerbaijani armed forces, violating the ceasefire agreement that came into force at 13.00 on September 20, are shelling the Nagorno-Karabakh capital Stepanakert from the outskirts of the city using various small arms. The shooting is also heard in the center of the city, Nagorno-Karabakh Information Center reported.
For security reasons, citizens are urged to stay in shelters, information about the situation will be made public additionally.
The ceasefire violation was reported to command of the Russian Peacekeeping Forces with a demand to take immediate measures.
On September 19 Azerbaijan launched an "anti-terror" operation in the region demanding that Karabakh's forces raise a white flag, disband their armed forces and dissolve their "illegal regime".
After 24-hour fierce fighting the ethnic Armenian authorities in Stepanakert gave in. Under the terms of the truce, outlined by Azerbaijan and the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on the ground, Karabakh armed forces must commit to being completely disbanded as well as disarmed.
According to the Nagorno-Karabakh human rights defender’s office, more than 10 thousand people have been evacuated from the communities seized by Azerbaijanis, several thousand cannot find their missing relatives -women, children and elderly people.
As of 21:30 September 20, the number of casualties stood at 200, including children, the number of wounded at more than 400.
Azerbaijani officials and Karabakh's Armenian representatives are meeting today for "re-integration" talks in the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh. -0-
