The Azerbaijani military tried to steal 20 horses belonging to a shepherd from the area of Verin Shorzha in Armenia's Gegharkunik province on Sunday, June 6, Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan reveals. They also opened fire on another shepherd in the village of Kut and took more than 80 cattle he was grazing on Saturday.

In particular, the horses closed in on Azerbaijani positions illegally deployed on the territory of Armenia, and the Azeris walked towards the animals to try to steal them. Tatoyan said the attempted robbery was prevented only after shots were fired by the servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces.

The day before, a shepherd in the village of Kut came under fire when grazing the livestock on grassland near the settlement. When the animals approached a stream to drink water, the Azeris began to fire on them and the shepherd, and did not stop for 30 minutes, Tatoyan said.

The shepherd managed to flee the scene on a horse whose leg was injured from a shot, but the Azeri troops stole more than 80 cattle and shot four others dead. The Defense Ministry confirmed later that the Azerbaijanis had indeed opened fire on the shepherd and ceased only after hearing the warning shots from the Armenian side.

"The criminal acts of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are intentional, given that they commit the same against the shepherds of the Armenian border villages in the province of Syunik, as well as the residents of other villages of Gegharkunik," Tatoyan said.

"The continuous fact-finding work clearly shows that these actions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, which grossly violate the rights of the border residents of the Republic of Armenia, are connected with the policy of anti-Armenianism and hostility sponsored by the Azerbaijani authorities."

On the morning of May 12, the armed forces of Azerbaijan violated the border of Armenia in the southern province of Syunik, advancing 3.5 kilometers and surrounding Sev Lake, which is situated on the border between the two countries but is predominantly a part of Armenia. On May 13, the Azerbaijani military committed more border violations against Armenia, advancing near Vardenis (Gegharkunik province) and Sisian (Syunik province). One Armenian serviceman was killed in Azerbaijan’s shooting on May 25, while six others were captured on May 27.