YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia has sent the first interim report over the July 12-13 shelling of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Armenia’s Tavush province to the international structures, Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan said on Facebook.

“We have just sent the first interim report in English about the July 12-13 shelling of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Armenia’s Tavush province to the international structures. The report is also sent to the UN Human Rights Council with a separate procedure. I want to state that only the national human rights institutions having “A” international status have such an opportunity”, Tatoyan said.

On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses.

The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that four soldiers have died in the incident.

Later that day Armenian defense minister’s spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank.

Today Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions.

No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. Only two police officers, who were on a combat duty in the border, were slightly injured from the Azerbaijani operations.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan