By Mark Dovich
A ceasefire reached by Armenia and Azerbaijan that came into effect at 8 p.m. local time Wednesday appeared to hold overnight, according to Armenia’s Defense Ministry.
“On the night of September 14-15, no significant incidents were observed on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,” the ministry said in a statement Thursday morning.
Armen Grigoryan, the head of Armenia’s Security Council, announced in an interview with public television overnight that Yerevan and Baku reached a ceasefire agreement through “the mediation of the international community.” He did not specify what exactly that meant.
A previous attempt by Russia to broker a ceasefire on Tuesday morning failed nearly immediately.
Azerbaijan attacked across lengthy sections of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border shortly after midnight Tuesday, launching strikes on a number of towns and villages in Armenia’s east and south.
Pashinyan said Wednesday 105 Armenian soldiers had been killed in action since the attacks began. Azerbaijan had captured about 10 square kilometers of territory within Armenia proper in the fighting, he added, taking the total amount of Armenian territory currently under Azerbaijani control to over 50 square kilometers.
Azerbaijani troops captured about 40 square kilometers of territory in Armenia’s southernmost Syunik region in an incursion last May and have remained stationed there since.
Meanwhile, at least 2,570 Armenian civilians have been displaced from their homes in this week’s fighting, according to Kristinne Grigoryan, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender.
Azerbaijan continues to put its combat losses at 42 soldiers and eight border guards.
The death toll means this week has been the bloodiest in the region since the outbreak of the war in and around Karabakh nearly two years ago, while fighting within Armenia proper marked an unprecedented escalation in hostilities.
Yerevan erupted in protest Wednesday evening, with thousands taking to the streets to demand Pashinyan’s resignation after he made contradictory comments earlier in the day about his readiness to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan.
CivilNet reporters at the demonstration said it appeared larger than protests held in Yerevan immediately after Pashinyan signed a ceasefire agreement to end the 2020 Karabakh war nearly two years ago.
It seemed to be more or less spontaneous, in contrast to smaller rallies organized earlier this year by Armenia’s political opposition.
Local media reported smaller protests in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, and Stepanakert, Karabakh’s capital.
