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Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan urged to allow observers
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Germany and the US are pushing to get independent observers into the breakaway region after months of blockade. Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians have fled in fear of reprisal from Azerbaijan. DW has the latest.

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A woman and four children, ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, walk along the road from Nagorno-Karabakh to Kornidzor in Armenia.
Tens of thousand of people have left Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia in the past daysImage: Vasily Krestyaninov/AP Photo/picture alliance
Skip next section What you need to know
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday called on Azerbaijan to allow international observers into Nagorno-Karabakh, to show Baku’s commitment to protecting the people living there.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has also underlined the need for international observers and humanitarian aid in the region in a talk with Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev, Washington says.

Meanwhile, thousands of Armenians are scrambling to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, as they are lacking basic necessities and fear reprisals from Azerbaijani forces.

Azerbaijan claimed full control over the breakaway region last week in an operation in which it says 192 of its troops were killed.

Here are the main headlines concerning Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, September 27:

Skip next section Azerbaijan says 192 troops killed in last week’s operation
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Azerbaijan says 192 troops killed in last week’s operation
Azerbaijan’s Health Ministry said 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and over 500 wounded in last weeks military offensive to retake Nagorno-Karabakh.

Separatist Nagorno-Karabakh officials earlier claimed at least 200 casualties on their side, including 10 civilians and 400 were wounded.

Last week’s operation led to Azerbaijan reclaiming control of the Armenian-majority territory that had been run by separatists for around 30 years. Home to about 120,000 ethnic Armenians, Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Tens of thousands of have already fled the region to Armenia, and the numbers are likely to go up after Azerbaijan has lifted its blockade of the roads between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

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Skip next section Germany, US push for international observers and humanitarian aid
13 minutes ago13 minutes ago
Germany, US push for international observers and humanitarian aid
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on the government of Azerbaijan to let independent observers into the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In a statement on Wednesday, Baerbock said Germany and its partners were “working hard to send observers as soon as possible,” and that Germany would increase its humanitarian aid from €2 million to €5 million ($ 5.2 million).

She said allowing an international observer mission would be “proof of confidence” that Baku was committed to the “security and wellbeing” of the people in the region.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has also underlined the need for an international mission when speaking to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday. Blinken further urged Aliyev to “refrain from further hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and provide unhindered humanitarian access.”

Nagorno-Karabakh has been under blockade by Azerbaijan for several months, before Baku reclaimed control over the breakaway region last week and promised to guarantee ethnic Armenians’ rights.

But thousands have fled over the past days, as basic necessities are lacking and many fear reprisal from Azerbaijani forces.

Ethnic Armenian exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh swells

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fg/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)