A 15-year-old Azerbaijani schoolboy who was taken captive by separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 5 has been handed over to Azerbaijan.

Cavid Mammadov, a resident of Tartar District, was captured by Armenians while fishing near the village of Asagi Cagli, north-east of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mediated the handover, which took place near the village of Bas Qarvand in Agdam District.  

Armenians captured nearly one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts, in a war after the Soviet breakup in 1991.

Major hostilities ended with a ceasefire in 1994 but no peace agreement has been signed.

More than 20 soldiers were killed last month in the worst escalation of tensions in 20 years.   

Bakudaily.Az