19 Civilians Killed and 80 Injured Due to Azerbaijani Aggression: Ombudsman

WRed

05.10.2020 14:09

The human rights defender of the Republic of Artsakh has reported tragic consequences following Azerbaijani military aggression from September 27 to October 4, 2020, focusing on crimes against the peaceful population of Artsakh.

As of October 4, a total of 19 civilians have lost their lives, including one young girl, seven women, and eleven men. The victims were predominantly killed either in their yards or in public areas of various settlements (central square, blocks). The fatalities were recorded in Stepanakert (7 people), Martuni (6 people), Hadrut (1 person), and Martakert (3 people), as well as in the village of Alashan in the Martakert region (1 person) and in areas adjacent to the community of Mets Shen (1 person).

Approximately 80 people sustained injuries, among them 60 with serious wounds. Of the injured, 48 are male and 12 are female. Twenty-four individuals were wounded at their residences due to explosions (in some cases, a shell exploded in the yard of an apartment building), while six were injured during transport when their civilian vehicle was targeted, seven were hurt in the shelling of a building used for humanitarian purposes, and 23 were wounded in other public places.

The types of injuries reported mainly involved blast injuries affecting the victims' lower and upper limbs as well as their faces. In Stepanakert and nearby areas, 22 people suffered serious injuries, while 6 were recorded in the center of Hadrut, 3 in the village of Taghaser, 1 in the community of Vardashat, and 12 in Martuni. Additional injuries include 1 in Spitakashen, 2 in Martakert, 5 near the community of Maghavuz, 2 in the N. Horatagh community, 3 in Alashan, 1 in the Mataghis community, and 2 in the Karvachar community of Shahumyan.

Since September 27, Azerbaijani armed forces have targeted over 60 civilian settlements in the Republic of Artsakh, leading to extensive destruction of infrastructure and private property. Preliminary data indicates that more than 2100 properties (residential houses, shops, etc.) have been seriously damaged, along with over 240 vehicles and approximately 350 infrastructure and production facilities.

Reports indicate that on the previous day and today, Azerbaijan has struck the civilian infrastructure and residential buildings in the capital Stepanakert with heavy missiles. Following yesterday's strikes, there were initially reported four civilian fatalities and ten injured, with current assessments on today's strikes still being verified.

The defender emphasizes that these casualty figures are not final, as the Ombudsman's office continues its fact-finding mission, promising to provide updated information on the results. It is also noted that the reported casualties and injuries resulted from the use of prohibited weapons and methods. In recent days, Azerbaijan has begun to widely employ heavy and long-range missile and aviation assets against the civilian population, some of which are of a cluster munitions nature.

Furthermore, during the last two days, Azerbaijani armed forces have deliberately targeted critical infrastructure in Stepanakert and other areas, constituting a serious war crime and exacerbating the existing humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. The following is a list of civilian casualties up until October 4: