Fire Towards Armenian Defenders Always Occurs, Says Kapan Mayor

Security issues continue to be a primary concern in the Kapan consolidated community of the Syunik province. The enemy remains close to Armenian settlements, and after the combat operations in September 2022, the village of Nerkhin Hand has been completely surrounded by the enemy from three sides.

For the past two and a half years, settlements such as Jakatun, Srashen, Shikahogh, and Tsav have also been under direct fire from enemy armed forces. Kapan community leader Gevorg Parsyan stated that there have been no recorded shots fired towards the settlements for a long time, whereas fire directed at Armenian defenders occurs regularly.

"Fire happens all the time; what matters is that the intensity of these shots does not escalate. The situation remains the same; we have not seen any changes," Parsyan told the news outlet Faktinfo.

In border communities, people primarily engage in agriculture—livestock breeding, horticulture, and some in field cultivation. Before the September combat operations, livestock breeding predominated in the region, but the situation significantly changed after September. Despite various programs being implemented by the community to support farmers and rural settlements, there is a notable decline in agriculture, especially in livestock numbers.

During the 44-day war in 2020 and afterwards, some farmers had their livestock cross the border, which has not been returned by the enemy. "Farmers suffered serious losses regarding livestock numbers; many cattle have crossed the border. Complete figures have been studied and presented to the regional administration, and recently the government provided financial assistance to those farmers," emphasized Parsyan.

On November 14, 2021, the Azerbaijani side closed the road connecting Kapan with border villages, severing the connection of these villages with the regional center. Residents were forced to travel for nearly a year on an alternative and quite difficult road until the Kapan-Jakatun route was commissioned.

Reaching Kapan is no longer difficult; however, it is still not safe. To illustrate the situation for readers, Parsyan recalls the September battles. "It is hard to say whether it is safe or not. One thing I can confirm is that during the combat actions in September, that road was closed because it was targeted by the enemy. It can definitely be said that it is unsafe during combat operations," added the mayor.

There are numerous everyday, security, and communication issues in Kapan's border villages; however, as Parsyan states, in the last two and a half years, very few families have left these settlements.

Notably, after the 44-day war in 2020, 18 settlements in Kapan community of Syunik province have become bordering, 16 of which are also border guard areas.