YEREVAN – The Azerbaijani attacks on Armenia on November 15 and 16 have turned into the subject of lively discussions in Armenia and throughout the world. It perhaps is still not fully clear how everything began, since various relevant bodies are still investigating and decline to provide information. The name of one of the Armenian soldiers who was killed and that 13 soldiers are captives, and the traces of 24 soldiers are unknown. It is clear that Armenia has lost two important positions as a result of the fighting. Azerbaijan lost 4 armored transport vehicles, 1 armored vehicle and 5 automobiles, and about 70 soldiers are either wounded or dead. Contrary to this information, Azerbaijani authorities have only reported 7 dead and 10 wounded.
The night of November 16 in border villages was fairly tense since despite the agreement for a ceasefire, Azerbaijani forces continued firing on an irregular basis many times. According to the villagers of Ishkhanasar, which is only 5 km. from the Azerbaijanis, they expected at every moment a new provocation. Shooting could clearly be heard from the village.
One villager asserted that none of the inhabitants to leave the village because Syunik is Armenia’s spine. He said, “We are all here. There is no talk of evacuation or escape. That would not bring us honor.”
Village head Marat Petrosyan said that heavy fighting had taken place on the territory of the mountain of the same name as his village, and the Armenian fighters had shown their best. He said, “Of course , there were some difficult moments, but the villagers all are in their places. No one has deserted the village. The school, the community center and other institutions all worked according to their regular schedules, and continue to operate. The enemy has not advanced here, and I am confident that it will not come. We will not allow it.”
He added that the Azerbaijanis had used 120 mm. D-30 howitzers, grenade launchers and armored vehicles.
Sounds of firing were also heard the night of November 16 in the village of Khnatsakh. Governor Melikset Poghosyan of Syunik confirmed this but explained that he cannot ascertain whether they were intentional shooting since the weather was unfavorable and it was not possible to know whence the shooting originated.
