Azerbaijan agrees to give Armenians until November 25 to withdraw its troops from Kalbajar

Azerbaijan on Sunday, November 15 agreed to give additional time to the Armenian side to withdraw its troops from Kalbajar district until November 25. According to TASS, Armenia had requested Azerbaijan to give it some time to withdraw its forces from the Kalbajar district citing damaged roads as the reason. Baku reportedly allowed Yerevan to delay the withdrawal of troops from Kalbajar as a humanitarian measure, the Azerbaijani president's assistant said. However, the withdrawal schedule of Armenian troops from other districts such as Lachin and Aghdam districts will remain unchanged. 

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Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan were involved in an all-out war since September 27 after skirmishes between both sides turned hostile. The fighting lasted for over a month before a Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement came into force on November 10. Both sides agreed to halt the fighting but the agreement also saw Armenia cede some territories in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region to Azerbaijan, which has sparked protests in Yerevan with people demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. 

Read: Villagers In Nagorno-Karabakh Torch Homes As They Flee To Armenia In Mass Exodus

Ethnic Armenian villagers, in territories that were handed over to Azerbaijan under the recent deal, set their houses on fire before fleeing to Armenia earlier this week. The National Security Service (NSS) on Saturday arrested its former director and two others for allegedly planning an assassination plot against Pashinyan. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan is celebrating the victory as it has been allowed to keep the territories it had gained since the beginning of the war. 

Read: Turkish President Erdogan Hails End Of Armenia’s ‘28-year Rule’ Over Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian peacekeepers have been deployed along the Nagorno-Karabakh region to uphold the ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Russian military said on Wednesday, November 11. According to Kremlin, the warring sides will exchange prisoners of war, detainees, and dead bodies as part of the agreements. The United Nations Commissioner for Refugee will oversee the return of displaced people to Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent regions. 

Read: Armenia Ministry Says 2,317 Servicemen Dead In Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

(Image Credit: AP)