Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to ceasefire — Armenian security chief Armen Grigoryan said on Thursday

YEREVAN:The Armenian defense ministry said on Tuesday that shortly after midnight Azerbaijani troops had opened intense fire from artillery systems, heavy machineguns, and firearms at the settlements of Goris, Sotk, and Jemruk: 

Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed a ceasefire from 20:00 local time (19:00 Moscow time) on September 14 thanks to international efforts, Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan said on Thursday.

"Thanks to the participation of the international community, we agreed a ceasefire with Azerbaijan from 20:00 on September 14," he said in an interview with the Armenian Public Television.

The Armenian defense ministry said on Tuesday that shortly after midnight Azerbaijani troops had opened intense fire from artillery systems, heavy machineguns, and firearms at the settlements of Goris, Sotk, and Jemruk. Armenia’s Security Council held an extraordinary meeting and decided to seek assistance from Russia by triggering provisions of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, as well as from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the United Nations Security Council. According to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, 105 Armenian soldiers were killed.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev blamed the current escalation on Armenia’s military political leadership and said that his country’s armed forces were taking retaliatory measures. According to the Azerbaijani defense ministry, 50 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed.