Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have accepted a ceasefire proposal made by the Russian peacekeeping contingent, amid continuing Azerbaijani fire, Armenian news agency Armenpress said Wednesday.
Azerbaijan's defense ministry said Tuesday it had begun an "anti-terrorist" campaign in the region against separatist forces.
The terms of the ceasefire were not immediately reported.
In a statement, the Nagorno-Karabakh presidency said that "an analysis of Azeri actions shows that its objective is to divide Nagorno-Karabakh [and] to inflict an irreparable damage to its vitality."
The presidency said Nagorno-Karabakh's Defense Army is "outnumbered several times over" as it has attempted to defend the region from Azeri troops.
"Regrettably, the Defense Army has casualties too, while in some parts the enemy succeeded in penetrating Defense Army outposts, capturing several heights and strategic road junctions," it said.
"In the current situation, the international community's actions in the direction of ending the war and resolving the situation are insufficient. Taking this into consideration, the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh accept the proposal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent's command regarding a ceasefire," the Nagorno-Karabakh Presidential Office said, according to Armenpress.
The official Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports that according to the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, an agreement has been reached on the suspension of anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh from 13.00 hours local time Wednesday.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
