Azerbaijan halts Karabakh offensive after ceasefire deal with Armenian separatists

A still image from video, published by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence, shows what it said to be an attack and neutralization of the military radio-technical node of the units of the armed forces of Armenia in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in this image taken from video published September 19, 2023. Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS

YEREVAN (Reuters) - Azerbaijan said on Wednesday it had halted military action in its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh after its battlefield success forced Armenian separatist forces to agree to a ceasefire that will see the area fully return to Baku's control.

Under the agreement, outlined by Azerbaijan and the Russian Defence Ministry, which has peacekeepers on the ground, separatist forces are meant to disband and disarm, while talks on the future of ethnic Armenians who live there are due to start on Thursday.