Relatives of Those Trapped in Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher Block Roads in Shirak

The residents of Artsakh's Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd villages, who have been trapped and left without any means of communication since the evening of December 15, include a significant number of conscripts from Shirak Province. Their relatives have recognized family members in videos released by Azerbaijan. They insist that their loved ones have been trapped for three days.

Relatives of the trapped soldiers have blocked various sections of the Gyumri-Yerevan highway. According to an Armenpress correspondent, the section near Azatani is currently closed, with citizens noting that only eight of the trapped soldiers are from Azatan. They are demanding information about their relatives.

Previously, the relatives of the soldiers had also blocked the entrance to the Shirak Regional Administration building, demanding a meeting with Governor Tigran Petrosyan. The governor directed them to the Ministry of Defense, which has a hotline for inquiries; however, the relatives state that they have received no information from the Ministry.

Currently, residents from the village of Keti are also gathering near the Shirak Regional Administration. There are reports that the Lanjik section of the Yerevan-Gyumri highway is also closed, as well as the road from Gyumri to Bavra.

The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Artsakh announced that on the evening of December 15, contact was lost with the personnel of several military positions located in the direction of the villages of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd under unknown circumstances. Effective measures are being taken through the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping forces to verify the possibility of the Armenian soldiers’ captivity and to undertake necessary actions if this is confirmed.