Azerbaijani troops have been deliberately starting fires in hay fields and pastures near the Armenian villages of Gegharkunik province, Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said late Monday, September 27.

The Azerbaijani forces' intrusion into the sovereign territory of Armenia and their deployment in the immediate vicinity of settlements prove that those fires pose a real threat to the civilian population of the villages, also causing serious social challenges, Tatoyan said.

The Human Rights Defender's staff has revealed the deliberate nature of Azerbaijan's actions, targeting upland areas where people had to manually put down fires along the firefighters.

"The withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from roads connecting villages in the Republic of Armenia has no alternative, to guarantee the rights of the border residents, the peaceful and secure life of the people. Only a security zone can ensure the rights of border residents," Tatoyan said.

Azerbaijani forces violated Armenia’s border in several sections in the provinces of Syunik and Gegharkunik on May 12 and 13 and are still refusing to withdraw their troops from the area. Since then, almost a dozen Armenian servicemen have been killed in Azerbaijan’s shooting, a dozen others have been wounded.