BAKU, September 22. /TASS/. Armenian servicemen in Karabakh who voluntarily laid down their arms are free to go, Azerbaijani Presidential Aide Hikmet Hajiyev said in a statement on the X social media platform (formerly Twitter).

"Military personnel who voluntarily lay down their weapons are free as we openly stated," the statement said

The official also stressed that "within the concept of civil-military cooperation, Azerbaijani military and civilian personnel on the ground are helping civilians and will continue to do so."

On September 19, tensions flared up again in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku announced it was launching what it described as "local anti-terrorist measures" and demanded the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the region. Yerevan, in turn, said there were no Armenian forces in Karabakh, calling what was happening "an act of large-scale aggression."

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called on the parties to the conflict to stop the bloodshed, end hostilities, prevent civilian casualties, and go back to trying to settle the Karabakh issue diplomatically. On September 20, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said that an agreement was reached with the participation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to suspend anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh starting from 12:00 p.m. Moscow time.