Newsday - Azerbaijan claims military action 'eliminated stumbling blocks to peace' - BBC Sounds

Azerbaijan's president has declared that his country's sovereignty has been restored over Nagorno-Karabakh after a 24-hour military offensive against ethnic-Armenian forces.

Ilham Aliyev praised the heroism of Azerbaijan's army hours after Karabakh forces agreed to surrender.

Some 120,000 ethnic Armenians live in the South Caucasus enclave, recognised internationally as part of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan now intends to bring the breakaway region under full control.

Its military launched an "anti-terror" operation on Tuesday, demanding that Karabakh's forces raise a white flag and dissolve their "illegal regime". With no means of support from neighbouring Armenia, and after an effective nine-month blockade, the ethnic Armenians surrendered.

Armenian officials reported that at least 32 people were killed, including seven civilians, and another 200 wounded. However according to a separatist Armenian human rights official, at least 200 people were killed and more than 400 wounded. The BBC has not been able to verify any of the figures.

On Wednesday evening, Armenian officials accused Azerbaijan of opening fire on troops near the town of Sotk on the border between the two countries after the ceasefire had been agreed, but Azerbaijan immediately denied the claims.

Elchin Amirbeyov is Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev's special representative on special assignments. He told argues the conditions of the truce offer a chance for permanent peace.

"Armenia finally will have to withdraw [its] remaining occupation forces in Azerbaijan... we have eliminated the main stumbling block on the way to peace."

"Out of those 10,000 [separatist] armed forces the majority of them belong to the regular troops of Armenia. That is why Azerbaijan was forced to establish the border checkpoint and since April this influx of Armenian personnel has stopped.”