Yerevan, Armenia

More than 100,000 people from Nagorno-Karabakh arrived in Armenia on Saturday (Sep 30) as nearly the entire population of the breakaway territory has already fled since Azerbaijan seized back control over the region. Meanwhile, the death toll from an explosion and fire at a fuel depot in now Azerbaijani territory on Monday (Sep 25) rose to 170, said the separatist government. 

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Over 100,000 refugees arrive in Armenia

Azerbaijan launched a so-called military operation, on September 19 against the separatist Armenians, who have claimed part of Karabakh – internationally recognised as Azerbaijani territory – as their ancestral homeland. 

This has prompted ethnic Armenians in the region to flee amid fears of repression and “ethnic cleansing”. Yerevan, on Saturday, said that over 100,000 people from an estimated population of 120,000 had fled since the breakaway region saw its decades-long fight against Baku end in sudden defeat.

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Artak Beglaryan, a former separatist official, according to unofficial information on his social media said “the last groups” of Nagorno-Karabakh residents were on their way to Armenia on Saturday. He added, “At most a few hundred persons remain, most of whom are officials, emergency services employees, volunteers, some persons with special needs.” 

Death toll after fuel depot blast rises to 170

The death toll after the fuel depot blast on the outskirts of rebel stronghold Stepanakert last week rose to 170 on Friday (Sep 29) as ethnic Armenians were in the midst of leaving the breakaway region, said a report by AFP citing a separatist government. 

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Forensic experts had been able to piece together “170 remains” of bodies that will be brought to Armenia for identification, said the official. Nearly 349 people – most of them suffering severe and critical burns – were being treated in hospitals across the region, said the media report. 

The updated toll means that nearly 600 people have lost their lives since Baku launched its military operation in the region. 

Armenia’s accusations against Azerbaijan

Yerevan has accused Azerbaijan of conducting a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” to clear the disputed region of its Armenian population, a claim that Baku has denied. 

Armenia has also asked the World Court to order Azerbaijan to withdraw all its troops from civilian establishments in Nagorno-Karabakh and provide the United Nations access, said the court on Friday (Sep 29). 

Armenia has also asked the court to reaffirm the orders it gave Azerbaijan in February and to order it to refrain from all actions directly or indirectly aimed at displacing the remaining ethnic Armenians from the region.

International experts also noted that the exodus of ethnic Armenians from the region meets the conditions for the war crime of “deportation or forcible transfer,” or even a crime against humanity.

UN visit to Karabakh

Azerbaijan on Friday (Sept 29) agreed to a UN mission’s visit to Nagorno-Karabakh “in the coming days”. 

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the UN will send a mission to Nagorno-Karabakh this weekend, mainly to assess humanitarian needs, adding that they have not had access to the region “in about 30 years.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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