Exasperated residents flee Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan seizes control of breakaway region

By GAIANE YENOKIAN
Associated Press

GORIS, Armenia (AP) — Thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents are fleeing their homes after Azerbaijan’s swift military operation to reclaim control of the breakaway region. More than 16,000 people, which is about 16% of the region’s population, have fled to Armenia since Azerbaijan’s offensive last week to seize the region after three decades of separatist rule. The massive exodus caused huge traffic jams that made the 100-kilometer drive last for as long as 20 hours. Many Nagorno-Karabakh residents fear Azerbaijan will restore the blockade of the main road to Armenia. The road, called the Lachin Corridor, was reopened after separatist authorities agreed to lay down weapons and negotiate how to reintegrate the region.