Blast in Nagorno-Karabakh injures more than 200 as thousands flee to Armenia, local official says

YEREVAN, Armenia — A powerful blast rocked the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region Monday evening as ethnic Armenians streamed out of the breakaway territory after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed full control of it in a lighting offensive last week. The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forcing the separatist authorities to agree to lay down weapons and start talks on Nagorno-Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan after three decades of separatist rule. He demurred when asked whether the Russian peacekeepers would remain in the region, saying that “no one can really say anything for now.” In this image taken from video, a refugee from the first group of about 30 people from Nagorno-Karabakh eat after arriving to Armenia’s Kornidzor village in Syunik region, Armenia, Sunday. In December, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian government was using the road for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the region’s separatist forces. Erdogan and Aliyev signed a deal for a gas pipeline and the Turkish leader said “I’m very pleased to be with all of you as we connect Nakhchivan with the Turkish world.” Asked about Erdogan’s visit, Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, voiced hope that it will “contribute to the regional security and help normalize life in Karabakh.” Aliyev, at a news conference with Erdogan, said “It is crystal clear that, independent of their ethnicity, the people living in the Karabakh region are Azerbaijani people so their safety and security is ensured by the Azerbaijani state.” Meanwhile, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, visited Armenia Monday to “affirm U.S. support for Armenia’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy and to help address humanitarian needs stemming from the recent violence in Nagorno-Karabakh,” her office said in a statement.