ANKARA

Palestinian group Hamas on Tuesday congratulated Azerbaijan over the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region from Armenian occupation.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia under a deal reached early Tuesday to halt fighting over the region, describing the agreement as a defeat to Armenia.

"We congratulate Azerbaijan for its victory in the battles and regaining the occupied territory,” Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said on Twitter.

"This is a natural end of any occupation," Abu Zuhri said, going on to hail Turkish support to Azerbaijan and the Muslim nation and its causes.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, have remained tense since 1991, but fresh clashes broke out on Sept. 27.

Since then, Armenia has repeatedly attacked Azerbaijani civilians and forces, even violating three humanitarian cease-fire agreements.