Baku Targets Farmers as Sarkisian, Kerry Discuss Artsakh

President Serzh Sarkisian meets with Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington in March

YEREVAN—As President Serzh Sarkisian was discussing the latest developments of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process with Secretary of State John Kerry, Azerbaijani forces were opening fire on farmers in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border regions on Thursday.

At approximately 2:10 p.m. local time, farmers harvesting near the Talish village were attacked by machine gun fire and other weapons, according to a report by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Ministry, which also said there were no casualties.

The Artsakh Defense Ministry urged Azerbaijan to refrain from provocative action against the civilian population of Karabakh, which is hard at work this harvest season. It warned that Azerbaijan will be held accountable for the attacks.

This recent attacks came only a day after the Artsakh Defense Ministry reported several non-targeted shots fired on Tuesday night and early Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Sarkisian and Kerry discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution processes in a phone conversation Thursday, both emphasizing the need for immediate implementation of agreements in presidential summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg.