A number of Russian peacekeepers were killed on Wednesday when their vehicle came under gunfire in Nagorno-Karabakh region, where Azerbaijani forces fought a fierce battle against ethnic Armenian gunmen yesterday.

The shooting targeted the vehicle when the Russian military personnel were returning from a truce observation post, the Russian TASS news agency reported, citing sources in the Russian Ministry of Defense.

All personnel on the vehicle were killed, the sources said without giving numbers.

Russian and Azerbaijani military inspectors started investigating the attack, they added.

Earlier today, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that the anti-terror military operation in the region realized its objectives and culminated in the surrender of armed Armenian groups.

He urged the Azerbaijani troops to ensure the safety and security of all residents in Karabakh, saying that Azerbaijan harbors no hostility towards residents with Armenian origin.

"The Armenian resident in Karabakh can take a breath; they are our citizens. We have no hostility towards the Armenian people," the State News Agency (AZERTAC) quoted the president saying in a televised speech.

Source: Kuwait News Agency