The Armenia-Azerbaijan border
Around eight to 10 Azerbaijanis, in civilian clothing, violated the contact line on Wednesday at about 11:40 a.m. in the northeastern part of the state border of Armenia and entered the buffer zone, Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.
The Azerbaijani were observed carrying long pipes, measuring around 100 feet each, which presumably were going to be used to establish water supply to a nearby Azerbaijani military position.
According to the defense ministry, when the Azerbaijani saw the the Armenian Armed forces, they fled, leaving behind the pipes and other equipment.
“The Armenian servicemen demonstrated restraint and did not yield to provocations,” the defense ministry press service said.
According to the Armenia’s National Security Service, no border incidents were registered in the Vorotan-Davit Bek section of the Goris-Kapan inter-state highway in Syunik, which is being manned by NSS border troops.
This is the latest incident involving Azerbaijani forces attempting to breach the border with Syunik, threatening the lives of the civilian population.
For months Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has been calling for the establishment of a de-militarized security zone in Syunik in order to protect the rights of Armenian citizens, who are confronted by Azerbaijanis on a daily basis.
Earlier this week, Tatoyan reported that an Armenian shepherd was attacked and beaten by Azerbaijanis when he was manning his cattle in a border village.