By Hermineh Virabyan

On the morning of October 1, international and local journalists in Stepanakert, the Artsakh capital, were mainly divided into two groups: those going to Martouni and Hadrut.

Le Monde journalist Allan Kaval and photographer Rafael Yaghobzadeh chose the direction of Martouni. In Martouni, the French journalists decided to film the damage done to the city and talk to people who have been living with war for years.

On the way we saw roaming pigs, which, according to the local driver, are usually kept in their pens, you will never meet them like that on the streets.

A group of local residents were accompanying a group of local journalists from the Martouni municipality building to show the damaged buildings. After a long wait, a boy named Grisha offered to accompany us.

The two French journalists, Grisha and I, drove to the first house. We entered the yard, there were broken windows on the ground. The branches of the trees hung from a garden. The pomegranates were so ripe that they cracked and remained uncollected. We passed through those trees to see another damaged house not far away. Remains of previously used weapons lay between us and that house. We did not approach We watched, took photos from a distance, and walked outside, thinking of going to the next house. We were about to get in the car when we heard a noise. We realized we were the target. We had already felt the first explosion. We started running here and there. It was Grad rocket, about ten explosions. When the explosions stopped, I began to hear the cry for help from my colleagues. I started shouting and calling for help, ‘bring a car, a car’. We took the guys to the Martouni hospital in two different cars, where they received first aid.

Later in the hospital I learned that the driver had received minor injuries and that Grisha, who was accompanying us, had died.

A house damaged before the Oct. 1 shelling

The yard of the first house

An abandoned house

Shattered windows

Almost all the windows of this house were blown out

When we left the house, we started photographing the town. Minutes later, the shelling started.

Local and foreign reporters rushed to assist the French journalists. Here, they’re carrying Allan Kaval to a car to get him to the hospital.

Taking Rafael Yaghobzadeh to the Martouni hospital

Allan Kaval outside the hospital

The car that took Kaval

Martouni hospital staff give first aid to the injured

Medical worker

Medical treatment

Injured Martouni resident

The shelling killed this man’s brother

Minutes before Yaghobzadeh’s surgery

We stayed at the Martouni hospital for a few hours. We heard explosions and the electricity was cut and restored several times. Physicians continued to work.