Azerbaijani forces are intentionally firing tracer ammunition in the civilian settlements of Armenia's Gegharkunik and Syunik provinces to intimidate the villagers, Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said in a statement on Wednesday, August 11.

Thanks to its special design, the trajectory of such projectiles is visible to the naked eye during daylight, and very bright during nighttime firing.

"We are regularly receiving alarming calls from Gegharkunik and Syunik villages that the Azerbaijani servicemen open fire also when they are intoxicated (drunk)," Tatoyan said in his statement.

"Moreover, tracer ammunition is being intentionally used in a way that they are visible to the civilian population to intimidate them. During these incidents, the Azerbaijani servicemen turn on loud music during nighttime, scream and shout."

The Ombudsman said his office has been receiving such alarms since December 2020. Their investigation has showed that the Azerbaijanis stop only after the suppressive actions of the Armenian Armed Forces aimed at protecting the civilian population.