Armenians are resorting to a scorched earth policy as the clock ticks down to a handover of the territory to the Azerbaijan Republic under a Russia-brokered peace deal.

Iran Press/Asia: The peace deal followed six weeks of fighting between ethnic Armenian forces and Azeri troops over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

It is internationally recognized as part of the Azerbaijan Republic but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since a war over Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s. On Sunday, the Azeris will return and take back control of the area.

Reuters reporters saw six houses, around half a tiny village, on fire on Saturday.

Local residents said Armenians were carting off everything they could as trucks nearby loaded up with household possessions.

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