Azerbaijan moves to reaffirm control of Nagorno-Karabakh as the Armenian exodus slows to a trickle

By The Associated Press

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 last month. Azerbaijan Interior Ministry spokesman Elshad Hajiyev says the country’s police have established control over the entire region. Nagorno-Karabakh’s human rights ombudsman said the bus that entered Armenia carried 15 passengers with serious illnesses and mobility problems. In a 24-hour military campaign on Sept. 19, the Azerbaijani army routed the region’s Armenian forces, forcing them to capitulate, and the separatist authorities agreed to dissolve their government by the end of the year.