Former Azerbaijani residents return to Aghdam homes.

Axar.az reports this was stated by the Associated Press.

Zamanova Nacibe, 61, former resident of Aghdam:

"After 27 (years) I have returned to my Aghdam, my joy cannot be expressed by words. However, I couldn't enter my house because of the number of land mines placed there. (This) is proof of Armenian vandalism, I am so close to my house but I can't see it yet."

Arif Haciyev, 63, former resident of Aghdam:

"We had beautiful buildings, hotels, a governor's building, all the prominent buildings that were here have no trace left behind. It's like it's all destroyed and a magnitude 12 earthquake hit here, unfortunately. This is the state of (Aghdam)."

Suleymanova Rahibe, 63, former resident of Aghdam:

"In 44 days, our 30 years of longing has ended. Fizuli, Zangilan, Jabrayil were emptied out one-by-one by our army, they (the army) entered there. We have arrived at Aghdam, thank God. Yesterday Kalbajar was emptied out and now our army entered there. Now, at the second (half) of next month (December), Lachin will be emptied out and with this, our Karabakh will be freed of our sordid enemy."

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That war left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands.

Heavy fighting that flared up Sept. 27 marked the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict between the two ex-Soviet nations in over a quarter-century, killing hundreds of people and possibly thousands more.