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northAfter the arrival of Russian troops in the Nagornyj-Karabakh conflict region in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan handed over several dead soldiers to Armenia. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced on Saturday in the capital Baku that the armed forces were killed in fighting for the city of Shusha, which was retaken from Azerbaijan.
Initially a number was not given. In exchange, Armenia handed over six dead soldiers to Azerbaijan. The body swap was agreed to earlier in the week in an agreement to end all fighting.
According to the Armenian Ministry of Health in the capital Yerevan, the bodies of more than 2,300 dead have been forensically examined. Among them are bodies that have yet to be identified, the ministry announced on Facebook. The Karabakh authorities last estimated the number of soldiers killed in 1383. The Azerbaijani army has so far not provided any information on losses in its own ranks with a view to censorship during martial law.
“Everyone will burn down their house today”
Meanwhile, in the Caucasus region of Nagornyj Karabakh, Armenian villagers set their houses on fire on Saturday to keep them from falling into the hands of Azerbaijani soldiers. In the village of Charektar in Kalbajar district, which according to a ceasefire agreement is to be handed over to Azerbaijan on Sunday, at least six houses were on fire on Saturday morning.
“Today is the last day, tomorrow the Azerbaijani soldiers will be there,” said one soldier. One homeowner who set his living room floor on fire with burning logs said he would not leave his home to Azerbaijanis. “Everyone will burn down their house today.” As early as Friday, dozens of houses in and around Charektar were on fire.
The belligerent neighboring states of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a ceasefire in Nagornyj Karabakh this week under Russian mediation after weeks of heavy fighting. Armenia has agreed to hand over control of large areas to Azerbaijan. He must relinquish control of the Kalbajar district on Sunday. The districts of Aghdam will follow on November 20 and Latschin on December 1.
Image: FAZ
Nagornyj Karabach had unilaterally declared its independence during the collapse of the Soviet Union. This was followed by a war with 30,000 deaths in the 1990s. The self-proclaimed republic is not yet internationally recognized and is considered part of Azerbaijan under international law. Most of it is inhabited by Armenians. Fighting had broken out again in late September. According to both parties, more than a thousand people have died since then.
