03/10/2022 Nagorno-Karabakh (International Christian Concern) – After several days of conflict between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces, an Armenian civilian was injured in Khramort by Azeri fire in the early hours of March 10. Azerbaijani troops subjected the village to harassment via loudspeakers “warning” the residents to leave last week and the forces exchanged fire in recent days. Due to unknown causes, the main gas pipeline into the region was damaged and sits inside Azeri territory. Azerbaijan has not allowed for any service to be completed on the pipeline and the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh are without gas for three days thus far.

Azerbaijan reportedly also accumulated heavy military equipment and tanks near the village. As the conflict escalated, some women and children temporarily fled their homes but returned early in the morning. The victim, 51-year old Suren Baghryan, was taken to the hospital after the incident but reportedly with non-life-threatening injuries after being hit in the back with gunfire. Azerbaijani troops also opened fire in the direction of Khnushinak and Karmir Shuka villages.

“This is the ongoing criminal policy by the Azerbaijani military-political leadership…that the ultimate goal of such acts is to remove the Armenian communities in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) from their native Armenian population,” stated Armenian human rights defender Kristine Grigoryan. She continued, “the irresponsible behavior of the Azerbaijani state is aimed at damaging the reputation of the Russian peacekeeping mission and undermining the enormous efforts made to ensure the peaceful life of the civilian population.”