Situation is relatively calm.
Line of contact a year after Azerbaijan's April aggression: Situation is relatively calm
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 1, ARTSAKHPRESS: A car is climbing up the hills. The road, given its location, is of a good quality and results of serious engineering work are visible. This is one of the sectors of the line of contact between the armed forces of Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR) and Azerbaijan (PHOTOS).
Guests are welcomed warmly, offered coffee and sweets at the fighting positions where Armenian News-NEWS.am reporters were permitted by the Karabakh defense ministry.
Peaceful guests are welcome here. A year ago, on the night of April 2, this section of the line of contact was attacked by Azerbaijani military units and underwent a massive shelling. After receiving appropriate response, on April 5 Azerbaijan was forced to fulfill the ceasefire agreement, which is more or less observed, although it is periodically violated by subversive attacks and shelling.
This section of Karabakh positions is a kilometer away from the adversary's deployment. The Azerbaijani fortifications and settlement are clearly visible.
According to squadron commander Captain Hakobyan, the situation is relatively calm now.
“There are shots sometimes, but no tension, the situation is under control,” he says.
He notes that much depends on silent understanding on the part of the opposing side.
“If the adversary makes no provocation, we do not have to respond, and the situation remains relatively calm. Of course, unless the opposing forces receive an order to escalate,” he explains.
Hakobyan says he was “partially” involved in last year’s events. Not all can be deployed in one direction, everyone had their own task, he says.
Hakobyan, who has joined the army when Karabakh armed forces were formed, says he decided to become a serviceman during the years of war, although “there was no military in my family.”
“I think that a person must have a vocation to be a military man. If you do not like your job, you are not wanted in the army,” he assures.
