Azerbaijanis Set Fire to 28 Hectares of Grassland Near Agarak: Farmers Face Grazing Issues

The Azerbaijani side has been deliberately setting fire to border areas since the beginning of August, resulting in the incineration of grassland on the Armenian side. Approximately 40 families near the village of Agarak in Syunik have been affected by Azerbaijani provocations and are now unable to graze their livestock.

The head of the Agarak administrative district, Haik Sahakyan, informed Pastinfo that, according to his calculations, around 28-30 hectares of grassland have burned. "The grassland, which serves as fodder, has been destroyed," Sahakyan stated.

Since the fire was extinguished after August 8, the Azerbaijani side has not engaged in further provocations. "There’s no more area to set ablaze; everything has burned. They have not conducted any other provocations," the district head noted.

Farmers are facing challenges as they cannot engage in livestock breeding at their permanent locations. There are other areas available, but they are limited and insufficient for proper livestock farming. "The most suitable areas belong to them, and they are right on the border," the community leader mentioned.

On August 4, the Azerbaijani side also crossed three large cattle, which have not been returned. Efforts to resolve the issue have been made with Russian border guards, but the cows are still missing even after 21 days. "The cows crossed the border and are still not here. If they are released, they will come back quickly; we have even seen that they are being kept by four people," he added.

The areas intentionally burned by the Azerbaijanis are lands rented by the villagers, situated right next to the border with Azerbaijan. The villagers had managed to gather the wheat they harvested before the incidents occurred.