Karabakh villagers demand a reaction from authorities to shelling attacks

The Azerbaijani armed forces used their positions in the city of Shushi to shell the Armenian positions near the villages of Mkhitarashen and Shosh, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Nagorno-Karabakh reported. Villagers asked for peacekeepers to be deployed in the area, and the recent shelling attacks have again highlighted the security concerns, local residents complain.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that residents of the villages of Mkhitarashen and Shosh (the Azerbaijani names are Mkhitarikend and Shushikend, respectively, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”) of the Askeran District (occupying the territory of Khodjaly and part of the Agdam Districts) have repeatedly complained about the shelling attacks by the Azerbaijani armed forces. So, on March 11, residents of the village of Mkhitarashen demanded to deploy peacekeepers in their village.

Armenian military posts are located near the village of Mkhitarashen, and shelling attacks were aimed at them, says Mkhitar Arustamyan, the head of the local community.

According to local woman A. Agadjanyan, the shelling attacks frightened children.

Fire regularly comes from Shushi (the Azerbaijani name is Shusha, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”), but the village of Mkhitarashen is more endangered, as it is located at the very foot of the city of Shushi, where the Azerbaijani armed forces are deployed, an official from the administration of the Shosh community notes.

“Residents of the Mkhitarashen village are more in need of security. The authorities are simply obliged to take immediate action after the yesterday’s incident. All houses are under direct sight from Shushi. And people do not leave because they love their homeland,” said Seda Babayan, a resident of the Shosh village.