Armenian Ombudsperson urges to create buffer zone near border villages

The villages in the Syunik Region of Armenia should be separated from Azerbaijani border posts by a special security zone, since a resident of one of Armenian communities was attacked, Arman Tatoyan, the Armenian Ombudsperson, has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that border villagers of the Syunik Region of Armenia have repeatedly expressed fears for their safety. In mid-February, the Armenian Ombudsperson and the head of the village of Agarak reported that the Azerbaijani armed forces were delivering fire in the immediate vicinity of Armenian villages. The village of Shurnukh in the Syunik Region is situated on Azerbaijani border; border posts of Azerbaijani militaries are deployed near residential buildings; and villagers are afraid of being under fire in the event of a new aggravation of the conflict.

Residents of the Syunik Region of Armenia need a special security zone, since the proximity of Azerbaijani combat positions poses a threat to them. This statement was made on April 27 by Arman Tatoyan, the Armenian Ombudsperson.

He cited a recent incident in the Aravus border community as an example. According to his story, on April 18, Azerbaijani militaries threatened a local shepherd with firearms and tried to drag him towards their positions.

The Ombudsman promised to send information about the incident in the village of Aravus to international structures, and urged to include the territory near this village into the draft security zone.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 27, 2021 at 08:11 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.