22:50, 12 May 2021

Goris authorities claim violation of Armenian border by Azerbaijani soldiers

The Black Lake in the Syunik Region of Armenia. Photo: Albero https://ru.wikipedia.org/

Today, Azerbaijani soldiers have attempted to advance in the Black Lake area in the Syunik Region of Armenia, the authorities of the city of Goris report. Negotiations with the Azerbaijani side are underway, the Armenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) reports.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that following the results of the combat actions in Nagorno-Karabakh in the autumn of 2020, Azerbaijani border checkpoints were installed on the eastern border of the Syunik Region of Armenia. The border passed along the Goris-Kapan highway, and some of the residents of Armenia had to leave their homes.

Residents of border villages in the Syunik Region of Armenia have repeatedly expressed fears for their safety. Thus, houses of residents of the Shurnukh village in the Syunik Region ended up close to the checkpoints of the Azerbaijani forces, while the Aravus community lost most of its pastures, and local residents can no longer keep livestock. On April 22, Gevorg Farsyan, Mayor of the town of Kapan, reported that during an hour, Azerbaijani soldiers were firing in the direction of three villages in the Syunik Region.

The Azerbaijani military personnel crossed the state border of Armenia in the area of the Ishkhanasar village and advanced three kilometres inland towards the village of Verishen, Irina Yolyan, Vice-Mayor of Goris, reported. According to the city official, there were about a hundred Azerbaijani soldiers.

The Armenian MoD prevented the Azerbaijani military personnel from carrying out works near the border of the Syunik Region, which they began this morning.

The negotiations with Azerbaijan involved Russian peacekeepers, the “ArmLur” reports with reference to Vage Akopyan, the former governor of the Syunik Region of Armenia.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 12, 2021 at 02:25 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.