Forests in Artsakh on fire due to Azerbaijan's use of white phosphorus munitions; Armenia applies to int'l organizations
“The best season in our Artsakh is now,” says Lesmonya Ohanjanyan, a woman from Artsakh, in a video released by the Armenian government on Saturday.
Had she been in Artsakh right now, she would go to the fields and forests to collect 15 types of plants to bake the traditional zhengyal bread. Right now she is in Yerevan, while her plants back there await harvest or burning.
On top of targeting peaceful settlements and civilian infrastructure, the Azerbaijani forces also burn down forests in Artsakh with weapons containing chemical components, most likely white phosphorus.
Rafayel Ponjoyan, Head of the Chemical Department of Army’s CBRN Defense, says the combustion of white phosphorus releases thick smoke which can be suffocating.
In this regard, the Armenian and Artsakh ombudsmen have released a joint report focusing on the chemical effects of those weapons of mass destruction on civilians.
The Armenian Ministry of Environment has registered the gross violation of international humanitarian law, Geneva and UN conventions and forwarded them to international environmental organizations, the video said.
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