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Former Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan paid a fact-finding visit to the village of Nerkin Hand in Syunik Province following Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenian combat positons which left four Armenian soldiers killed and another wounded last week.

“The life of our population has worsened since September 13, 2022,” the village mayor, Khachatur Baghdasaryan, says in a video report shared by Tatoyan on Facebook on Monday.

“Currently, we don’t have access to the cemetery, the monument to the Great Patriotic War, the church, our pastures, our private lands are under the control of Azerbaijani troops,” he adds.

A local resident stresses villagers have been unable to cultivate their lands for more than a year.

“They are shooting again. Maybe they are getting ready to attack us. What do we know? We don’t know anything… The Azeris are guilty, they are always shooting at us, always,” the elderly man says.

The ex-ombudsman, who currently runs the Tatoyan Foundation, states the fact-finding activities have confirmed that the Azerbaijani shootings which killed the Armenian servicemen were from the areas in the village they had invaded.

“Azerbaijani forces are stationed in the immediate vicinity of the village school. The life, health and safety of children in the village are completely disrupted. People are unable to engage in animal husbandry; mine explosions are regularly recorded,” Tatoyan says.