The pro-independence authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh reported Monday, September 25, the explosion of a fuel depot. “The number of injured after the explosion of a fuel depot exceeds 200. The majority are in serious or very serious condition,” said the human rights officer of the self-proclaimed republic, Gegham Stepanyan, on social networks.
The latter requested urgent external assistance to deal with this disaster: “The medical possibilities (of Nagorno-Karabakh) are insufficient. Medical planes must land as quickly as possible to save lives,” he implored.
Thousands of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh have taken refuge in Armenia, despite the promise reiterated Monday by the president of Azerbaijan that the rights of Armenians who remain in this landlocked separatist territory of which his army has regained control would be “guaranteed” last week.
All residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, “regardless of ethnicity, are citizens of Azerbaijan,” Ilham Aliev said. “Their rights will be guaranteed by the Azerbaijani state,” he added during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Nakhchivan, a strip of Azerbaijani land nestled between Armenia and Iran . “We hope that Armenia will seize the peaceful hand extended to it,” said Mr. Erdogan.