A ceasefire has reportedly been reached to end two days of brutal fighting in Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in what the government called an “anti-terror operation.” Dozens of people are thought to have been killed and hundreds more wounded in Baku’s two-day operation for control of the enclave, but Reuters reported Wednesday that ethnic Armenians had agreed to a ceasefire that came into effect at 1 p.m. local time (0500 EST). The agency quoted a statement from the self-styled “Republic of Artsakh” saying that Azeri forces had seized various heights and strategic road junctions, leaving them with no choice but to agree to a Russian-backed ceasefire. “The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh accept the proposal of the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to cease fire,” the statement said. Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh and both Russia and the United States had appealed to an end to the latest outbreak of violence.
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