Armenians burn homes in Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar before Karabakh deal retreat

Armenia on Sunday began handing over a liberated territory to Azerbaijan as part of a peace accord that ended six weeks of fierce fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Residents of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar district, which was occupied by Armenian forces for decades, began a mass exodus of the mountainous province in the days leading up to the official withdrawal day.

Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising over the valley near the village of Charektar after residents set their homes on fire preferring to leave devastation in their wake and homes that would be uninhabitable by Azerbaijanis.