Armenian PM's wife visits Stepanakert

PanARMENIAN.Net - The wife of Armenian Prime Minister, Anna Hakobyan, has traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).

According to pictures posted on Facebook, Hakobyan and Karabakh's First Lady, Kristina Harutyunyan, have stopped by the Republican Medical Center to visit those wounded in Azerbaijan's offensive.

The visit came hours after Azerbaijan launched a large-scale assault along the Karabakh contact line and has been shelling civilian settlements since early morning. At least two civilians – a woman and a child – have been killed, while two others have been injured.

The Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army said on Sunday that helicopters, drones, tanks and infantry armored vehicles belonging to the Azerbaijani military have been destroyed since morning.

Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan has already briefed Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office, on the situation along the Karabakh contact line.

Karabakh President’s spokesperson Vahram Poghosyan has said the Azerbaijani military has been shelling the civilian settlements of Karabakh, including the capital Stepanakert.

The last major escalation on the Karabakh contact line was in April 2016 when Azerbaijan resumed hostilities against Karabakh. Throughout the four-day military campaign, 64 soldiers, 13 volunteers and four civilians, including a child, were killed and more than 120 people were wounded on the Armenian side. According to information from the U.S. Department of State, Azerbaijan lost more than 270 people in total.