Residents of Armenian border villages protest against their transfer to Azerbaijan

 A protest demonstration is being held in the border village of Kirants in Armenia's Tavush Region. A TASS correspondent reports, local villagers and people from other regions of the country who have arrived to support them are protesting against the transfer to Azerbaijan of four villages that were part of the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic during the Soviet era.

People are trying to prevent bomb disposal specialists from demining the territory, after which Azerbaijani security forces are to enter the area.

Protests have continued in Kirants for several days now. Residents of Armenian border villages fear that after the transfer of the territories in question to Azerbaijan and demarcation in this area the border line will lie several dozen meters away from their homes.

On Friday, a group of protesters blocked the road near Kirants. Police arrived. According to the Armenian Investigative Committee (IC), after the protest demonstration several explosions were heard in the area and several tires were set on fire. Protesters threw stones at police. Two police officers and three civilians involved in the riots were injured. The Investigative Committee of Armenia initiated criminal proceedings.