A new ceasefire agreement reached by Armenia and Azerbaijan came into force at 00:00 on 18 October following 21 days of fighting.

[The news as it happened: 27 September, 28 September, 29 September, 30 September, 1 October, 2 October, 3 October, 4 October, 5 October, 6 October, 7 October, 8 October, 9 October, 10 October, 11 October, 12 October, 13 October, 14 October, 15 October, 16 October, 17 October]

Read our latest stories: 

• Evidence mounts of war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh
• Aliyev and Pashinyan mark ‘red lines’ in interviews with RIA Novosti
• Azerbaijani peace activists called for questioning
• Opinion | On the importance of losing
• Opinion | How I learned not to hate
• Opinion | We are a generation of war
• Opinion | To stand for peace, in spite of everything
• Analysis | A dangerous turn in a 30-year conflict
• Under fire in Stepanakert

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.

Security Council to meet about Nagorno-Karabakh today

At the request of the United States, France, and Russia the United Nations Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting about the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict today.

Aliyev: Azerbaijani forces take Khoda Afarin bridge

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has announced that Azerbaijani forces have taken control of the historic Khoda Afarin bridge on the border with Iran. A humanitarian ceasefire has been in force since 00:00 this morning.

Azerbaijan ready hand over bodies of Armenian soldiers through ICRC

Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons stated that Azerbaijan is ready to unilaterally hand a number of bodies of deceased Armenian servicemen to Armenia. This will be facilitated by the ICRC in a pre-agreed corridor, Azerbaijani media report. 

Mustafa Şentop arrives in Baku

The Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Mustafa Şentop, has arrived in Baku on the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. In addition to holding official meetings, he is expected to speak at the Azerbaijani parliament. 

Armenia: Azerbaijan has rejected agreement on withdrawal of wounded

Armenian Defence Ministry Spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan has said that the ICRC attempted to mediate an agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to facilitate the withdrawal of wounded soldiers from the battlefield and that Baku rejected the agreement. 

At the moment, neither the ICRC nor Azerbaijani officials have commented on the claim. 

Azerbaijan: Armenia has shelled Aghdam 

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence has reported that Armenian forces have shelled the district of Aghdam. A ceasefire has been in place since 00:00 this morning. There is no independent mechanism in place to verify ceasefire violations.

Azerbaijani MOD reports taking Armenian military base

Earlier today, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry reported that Azerbaijani armed forces have taken control of an Armenian military base near Fuzuli (Varanda). They also uploaded a video purportedly showing this base and the Armenian military vehicles and arms inside. 

A ceasefire has been in place since 00:00 this morning. 

Armenian MOD: Military fatalities rise to 673

The Armenian Ministry of Defence has confirmed 673 fatalities among its soldiers. Azerbaijan does not publish numbers of military fatalities.  

Ceasefire violations reported this morning

Armenia Ministry of Defence spokesperson Shushan Stepanayan has reported that Azerbaijani forces violated the humanitarian ceasefire this morning launching an attack in the southern part of the frontline.  Previously she reported that Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire with shellings and rocket strikes from ‘00:04 to 02:45’ and from ‘02:20 to 02:45’.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry has reported that Armenian forces have shelled territory next to Jabrayil (Jrakan) as well as villages along the Aras river overnight, with the first shelling occurring immediately after the ceasefire came into effect. It has also reported that this morning Armenian forces launched an attack ‘in the direction of Agdara, Fizuli, Hadrut, and Jabrayil’.

There is no independent ceasefire mechanism currently in place to verify claims of ceasefire violations.