The last bus carrying ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh has left the region, completing a weeklong, grueling exodus in which more than 80% of its residents have fled after Azerbaijan reclaimed the area in a lightning military operation.

The last bus carrying ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh left the region Monday, completing a grueling weeklong exodus of over 100,000 people — more than 80% of its residents — after Azerbaijan reclaimed the area in a lightning military operation.

The bus that entered Armenia carried 15 passengers with serious illnesses and mobility problems, said Gegham Stepanyan, Nagorno-Karabakh’s human rights ombudsman. He called for information about any other residents who want to leave but have had trouble doing so.

In a 24-hour military campaign that began on Sept. 19, the Azerbaijani army routed the region’s undermanned and outgunned Armenian forces, forcing them to capitulate. Separatist authorities then agreed to dissolve their government by the end of this year.

  • Bondrewd@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    10 months ago

    USSR fell apart, the Armenian and Azerbaijan SSR became independent. Nagorno-Karabakh was a protected Armenian territory in USSR, but UN border agreement didnt take this into account.

    So first Armenia waged war on the azeris for the territory. Then, once they built up their military from oil income and the larger population, azeris attacked in response. Now they successfully overwhelmed Armenias forces there, mainly eminating from severed Russian influence in the region.