Armenia, Azerbaijan agree on cease-fire to end fighting

By AVET DEMOURIAN
Associated Press

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A senior Armenian official says Armenia and Azerbaijan negotiated a cease-fire to end a flare-up of fighting that has killed 155 soldiers on both sides. The secretary of Armenia’s Security Council announced the truce in televised remarks early Thursday, saying it took effect hours earlier — at 8 p.m. (1600 GMT) Wednesday. A previous cease-fire brokered by Russia on Tuesday quickly failed. The announcement follows two days of heavy fighting that marked the largest outbreak of hostilities between the two longtime adversaries in nearly two years. Shortly before Grigoryan’s announcement, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Armenia’s capital accusing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of betraying his country by trying to appease Azerbaijan and demanding his resignation.