Over 13,500 individuals had made their way to Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh by Tuesday, according to information provided by the Armenian foreign ministry to an international news agency. Simultaneously, a significant number of people were attempting to escape the enclave on Monday evening when a powerful explosion occurred at a gas station near Stepanakert. This station was a critical stop for individuals refueling before embarking on the journey to Armenia.

Tragically, the explosion resulted in the loss of at least 20 lives and left 290 people wounded, as reported by the Armenian state news agency Armenpress. Those injured were promptly transported to four different hospitals within Nagorno-Karabakh, one of which was operated by the Russian peacekeeping mission.

Azerbaijan’s recent offensive, though brief, was marked by substantial casualties, claiming the lives of over 200 individuals and leaving many others injured. Subsequently, Karabakh officials consented to a ceasefire brokered by Russia, in which they agreed to disband their armed forces. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that Baku had regained control over the enclave “with a firm hand.

The Karabakh presidency, in communication with Reuters, expressed that the majority of Karabakh Armenians preferred not to live within Azerbaijan’s borders and intended to relocate to Armenia. While Azerbaijan has promised to safeguard the rights of those residing in the region, both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and international experts have consistently voiced concerns about the potential for ethnic cleansing of Armenians within the enclave.

As David Babayan, an advisor to Samvel Shahramanyan, the president of the self-declared Republic of Artsakh, emphasized: “Our people have no desire to remain part of Azerbaijan. Ninety-nine point nine percent of them would rather leave our historic lands.