14 December 2020, 23:50
Armenian villages of Khtsaberd and Khin Takher stay without residents
Residents left the villages of Khtsaberd and Khin Takher during the hostilities. The Armenian forces stay in the Khtsaberd village, while in the Khin Takher village, Russian peacekeepers and Azerbaijani soldiers stay and negotiate.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 11, the first violation of the ceasefire regime after the announcement of the truce was registered. According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azerbaijani forces attacked two Armenian villages in the Gadrut District, including Khtsaberd and Khin Takher (the Azerbaijani names are Chailakkala and In Takhlar, respectively, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"). Three Karabakh soldiers were injured.
The Azerbaijani armed forces managed to establish control over the village of Khin Takher, the head of the village of Khtsaberd reported. The Azerbaijani side declared the incident a necessary antiterrorist operation.
The Russian peacekeepers are negotiating for the Azerbaijani military personnel to retreat to their previous positions, the press service of the President of Nagorno-Karabakh reports.
According to Kamo Petrosyan, the head of the administration of the Gadrut District, during the war, the above-mentioned and nearby villages were subjected to intensive missile attacks, and children, women, and elderly people were evacuated, while men took part in battles.
There are no civilians in those villages, because they had been evacuated during the hostilities, Kamo Petrosyan has also added.
On December 13, according to the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Azerbaijan launched an offensive on two more Armenian villages in the Shusha District: Metsshen and Inshen, reported Vagram Pogosyan, the press secretary of the President of Nagorno-Karabakh.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 5, 2020 at 05:03 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Alvard Grigoryan Source: CK correspondent