However, the gradual deterioration of relations between the two communities culminated at the end of that year when the Muslim population decided to establish a separate administration in the village of Dondarlu.

Amid this crisis, Andranik arrived in Zangezur, commanding an irregular force of 3,000 to 5,000 men and accompanied by thousands of refugees fleeing Turkish-occupied regions of Armenia.

Andranik, refusing to recognize the Armenian Republic due to its submission to Turkish demands under the Treaty of Batum, sought to align with British forces in northern Persia.

[7] The influx of approximately 30,000 refugees worsened famine in Zangezur, but Armenian leaders welcomed Andranik, recognizing the looming threat of Turkish forces advancing from Erevan and Ganja.

To secure key routes across Zangezur, Andranik targeted fortified Muslim villages, beginning the process of consolidating Armenian control over the region.

However, in January 1919, the British command in the Caucasus endorsed the Azerbaijani government's appointment of Khosrov bey Sultanov as the governor-general of Karabakh and Zangezur, prompting protests from the Armenian side.

[8] On March 6, 1919, Lieutenant Colonel Arsen Shahmazian arrived in Goris with instructions from the Armenian government to facilitate the integration of Zangezur into Armenia.

The council, whose main goal was to incorporate this disputed region into Armenia, consisted of Dashnaks, Bolsheviks, and unaffiliated individuals—seven local leaders and five exiles from Karabakh.

On June 21, the newspaper Azerbaijan published a report from Khosrov Bey Sultanov stating that the Armenians had blocked passes, leaving 10,000 Muslim nomads and 150,000 head of livestock stranded in the mountains.

In November, Armenian intelligence reported that Azerbaijan's envoy to Turkey, Mir Yusif Bey Vezirov, had recruited 30 Turkish officers and held consultations with the Young Turks regarding the struggle for Zangezur.

Khosrov Bey Sultanov distributed leaflets in Russian, Turkic (Azerbaijani), and Armenian, blaming "dark forces" for destroying several villages and displacing thousands of innocent people.

He also emphasized that Zangezur, like Karabakh, was dependent on the Yevlakh road and could not exist in isolation:[12] I appeal to you, the people of Zangezur—workers and peasants... show that you have no connection to anarchist and adventurist elements.

In that case, the responsibility for bloodshed will lie with you.During the same period, in mid-October, Azerbaijan rejected a plan proposed by Colonel Rey, the American representative in the South Caucasus, to establish a neutral zone in Sharur-Nakhichevan.

[13] On October 29, the commander of the Azerbaijani expeditionary forces, General Javad bey Shikhlinski, ordered an advance unit, led by Captain Ibrahimov, to approach Armenian positions near Tegh and deliver an ultimatum demanding the opening of the road to Goris.

The rapid retreat of the militia forces, who had completely lost cohesion, combined with the threat of an encirclement of Yadigarov's right flank, prevented him from advancing to capture Khanazakh (present-day Khnatsakh).

Around 10 a.m., Armenian cavalry, mistakenly identified by the Azerbaijanis as their own forces, launched a flank attack from the left, causing confusion among the soldiers of the Zakataly Regiment.

By 3 p.m., a significant concentration of Armenian infantry and cavalry was observed on the right flank of Levestam's group, forcing him to abandon the plan to capture Dyg.

Due to the exhaustion of the troops and the realization that holding Dyg was unfeasible, Javad Bey Shikhlinski decided to withdraw the group to the northern bank of the Zabugh and return to their original positions.

On November 13, Allied representatives in Transcaucasia, Colonel Rey and Oliver Wardrop, warned both sides that their actions would harm their positions at the Versailles Conference if military operations were not permanently ceased.

The Armenian side immediately expressed readiness for peace negotiations, accusing Azerbaijan of duplicity by continuing military operations during bilateral discussions.

Yusifbeyli , however, placed responsibility on Armenia, accusing it of inciting the Zangezur Armenians to rebellion, which had compelled the Azerbaijani government to assist Governor-General Sultanov in dealing with pro-Bolshevik insurgents, preventing further destruction, and facilitating the repatriation of refugees.