People are in the Pasture and Fields While Azerbaijanis Shoot from Post to Post, Says Srashen Village Head

In the vicinity of the village of Srashen, part of the enlarged community of Kapan, Azerbaijani armed forces fire shots every three to five days from various types of weapons. "They shoot from one side and then the other, but the situation is manageable. People go down to the fields to work. No incidents have occurred so far," said Anahit Baghdasaryan, the administrative head of Srashen village, in an interview with "Factinfo." She assured that the village will not be abandoned.

"If the firing escalates to long-range targeted shots, we will have to evacuate the children from the village, but for now, we are thinking of staying and living in our village. We do not plan to flee," she added.

Baghdasaryan noted that the gunfire occurs both during the day and at night. Shots have even been fired while they were engaged in agricultural activities. "People are in the pasture and the fields while shots are being fired, but they are not shooting directly at the fields. They are just firing from post to post; it’s not targeted. At night, they do not shoot as much, but during the day, there are shots—though not many," she explained.

Azerbaijani soldiers are also stationed in a nearby Azerbaijani village, where they set up tents, establish headquarters, and have begun light construction. According to Baghdasaryan, this once-abandoned Azerbaijani village has no residents left, only military personnel appearing in new positions. The distance between the Azerbaijani village and the Armenian Srashen is approximately 1.4 kilometers. "Our cultivated fields are literally within 20-50 meters of their village. We need to work in those fields," she stated.

"We have sown winter crops, we cultivate wheat and barley, and we are also preparing for spring, planning to plant sugar beets and sow grass. All of these lands are privatized and belong to the community. The village head has expressed concerns to the Ombudsman and the mayor about cultivating and using them," she said.

"The Turk remains a Turk, but the time will come, and we will see. The crops still need to mature, and we cannot make predictions yet. Approximately 180 hectares of land in Srashen are designated for grazing and farming, with 80 hectares bordering directly on the Azerbaijani side along the border. The other areas are also close to the Azerbaijani side. There are 80 cultivated fields and 40 grazing lands adjacent to Azerbaijan," Baghdasaryan added.

Currently, 23 households operate in the village, which will increase to 40 in the spring. There are about 60 residents in the village, and 9 students attend school. The village lacks gas infrastructure, and water is scarce. The only solution for taking livestock to pasture is barbed wire. The residents and the village head are now waiting for social assistance, hoping that the government will alleviate their burden.