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Armenia, Azerbaijan Agree to End Fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh

Associated Press

   YEREVAN, ARMENIA - Armenia and Azerbaijan announced an agreement early
   Tuesday to halt fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan
   under a pact signed with Russia that calls for deployment of nearly
   2,000 Russian peacekeepers and territorial concessions.

   Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces
   backed by Armenia since a 1994 truce ended a separatist war in which an
   estimated 30,000 people died. Since then, sporadic clashes erupted, and
   full-scale fighting began on September 27.

   Several cease-fires had been called but were almost immediately
   violated. However, the agreement announced early Tuesday appeared more
   likely to take hold because Azerbaijan has made significant advances,
   including taking control of the strategically key city of Shushi on
   Sunday.

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