Azerbaijan attacks Armenian forces ahead of ceasefire

Azerbaijani Defence Ministry released foot on Saturday showing airstrikes against alleged Armenian troops in Nagor-Karabakh just hours before start of ceasefire. Azerbaijan Defence Ministry claimed that intense fighting continued from Friday night into Saturday morning along entire frontline.

Armenian Defence Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan wrote on her Facebook p that Azerbaijan forces are "trying in every possible way to ensure an vant over beginning of a humanitarian truce." Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a ceasefire in Nagor-Karabakh starting at on on Saturday, following two weeks of heavy fighting that marked worst outbreak of hostilities in separatist region in a quarter-century.

countries' foreign ministers said in a statement that truce was intended to exchange prisoners and recover de, ding that specific details would be agreed on later. anuncement followed 10 hours of talks in Moscow sponsored by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who re statement. It stipulated that ceasefire should pave way for talks on settling conflict.

If truce holds, it would mark a major diplomatic coup for Russia that has a security pact with Armenia but has also cultivated warm ties with Azerbaijan. latest outburst of fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces began on September 27 and left hundreds of people de in biggest escalation of deces-old conflict over disputed region since a separatist war re ended in 1994. region lies in Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia. 

(Im Credits: AP)