Azerbaijani Military Shelling Armenia’s Southern Border Positions

YEREVAN — The Armenian military said early on Tuesday that Azerbaijani forces are using artillery, combat drones and automatic weapons to strike its positions along various sections of Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan.

Shortly after midnight,  Azerbaijani forces began firing towards southern Armenian towns of Goris, Jermuk, Vardenis and Sotk, reports Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Aram Torosyan.

Armine Simonyan, CivilNet’s correspondent in the southern town of Goris, said there were artillery shells landed in the vicinity of the town, causing a fire in the fields. As of 1:30am local time, Simonyan reported that the sounds of shelling can be heard in Goris.

“The exchange of intensive gunfire is continuing,” the ministry spokesman  said an hour later. “The Armenian armed forces are giving [the enemy] an adequate response.”

Residents of several Armenian border communities told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that they are hearing powerful explosions and gunfire. The mayor of one such village, Verin Shorzha, spoke of “intensive gunfire” coming from Azerbaijani army positions across the local section of the long border.

Another local government official was quoted by news.am as saying that some residents of the nearby village of Norabak are fleeing their homes.