‘Friday the situation was terrible, the whole population was outside’: what the head of Kakhakn administrative region reports

The ongoing artillery fire from the enemy towards the border villages of Gegharkunik Province and Armenian positions has become a constant threat. In an interview with 168.am, the head of Kakhakn village, Ashot Vatyam, noted that the enemy fires every evening and, unlike in the past, now uses heavy weaponry.

“Every evening at 8:00 PM, they start firing. On Friday at 11:00 PM, the situation was terrible, the whole population was outside. These shots happen every day. The targets of the fire are especially Armenian positions, which are very close to us—1.5 kilometers away from ours and 2.5 kilometers from theirs,” the administrative head of Kakhakn stated.

According to Ashot Vatyam, at this stage, the enemy aims to create an atmosphere of fear among the civilian population. “The people are in panic and uncertainty; several families have left the village. They have chosen the evening hours for firing because it is quiet, and the sounds of gunfire are clearly audible. In the mornings, when they fire, the village is in motion, and it is not heard, but in the evenings, it is quite clear,” he emphasized.

“Incidentally, the enemy is already using larger-caliber weapons, firing with mortars, and on Friday, they were firing with those all evening,” our interlocutor stressed.

Ashot Vatyam believes that after the snowfall, it is possible that the enemy will cease provocations against the village, but provocations towards the positions will continue, as the snow in the village is deep.

It is worth noting that on September 13, at around 00:05, units of the Azerbaijani armed forces opened intense fire on several sections of the Armenian positions along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border using artillery, mortars, and drones. As a result of the attack, the Armenian side suffered over 200 casualties, with wounded, missing, and captured individuals. Since that attack, the Azerbaijani side has been firing almost daily at Armenian positions and civilian settlements.