Lands around NagornoKarabakh fully reclaimed

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN » Azerbaijan completed reclaiming territory held by Armenian forces for more than a quarter-century after a peace deal ended sixweeks of fierce fighting over NagornoKarabakh. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hailed the restoration of control over the areas as a “historic victory” and a demonstration of his nation’s “unbending spirit .”

“We won a victory on the battlefield and in the political arena, and that victory opens a new era for our country. It will be an era of development, security and progres,” Aliyev said.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.