An Armenian mother in Shaki put herself between an armed Azerbaijani serviceman and her children, losing three fingers when he opened fire inside the family’s home.
Ani’s sister, Arpi Avetisyan, told journalists that Azerbaijani serviceman Nasim Musayev had broken a window and the lock to the house before entering and searching through the kitchen.
Ani’s school-age children later entered the home and found him inside. Musayev took their phones after they began screaming and calling for their mother.
Ani was in Sisian at the time. One of the children managed to keep a phone connection open, allowing her to hear what was happening. She immediately drove to Shaki and climbed over a neighbor’s wall to reach the house, despite her children shouting at her not to approach because Musayev was armed.
Avetisyan said Musayev was pointing his weapon toward the children when Ani intervened, using her hand to shield them and push the rifle away. He opened fire, wounding her in the thigh and severing three fingers on her left hand.
As Musayev attempted to reload, Ani grabbed a knife and struck him in the head and chest before losing consciousness. Her 15-year-old son then intervened, punching Musayev in the head and fracturing his fingers. One of the boy’s fingers required surgery overnight.
Musayev was detained by Armenian authorities later that day.
Armenia’s National Security Service said Azerbaijani authorities had already informed the Armenian side on September 29 that a serviceman had left his military unit and may have illegally crossed into Armenia. According to Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office, Musayev had disappeared on September 26 from a military unit in the Berdzor region of occupied Artsakh.
The NSS has not publicly explained how the armed serviceman crossed into Armenia and reached Shaki before being detected.
Authorities said Ani’s life was not in danger. A criminal investigation has been launched.
