The victim's account of Musaev's attack sparked a discussion on social media.

Many Facebook* users with Azerbaijani surnames doubted the credibility of Ani Avetisyan's account of the clash with Azerbaijani soldier Nasimi Musaev in the border village. Users with Armenian surnames found the victim's version plausible.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", 39-year-old resident of the Armenian village of Shaki, Ani Avetisyan, who was injured during the attack by Azerbaijani serviceman Nasimi Musaev, recounted how during the clash with him she lost a finger and sustained a gunshot wound. She accused the security forces of failing to warn residents about the search for the soldier.

As of 17:10 Moscow time on October 14, users left 955 comments, 566, and 184 comments under three posts by the "Caucasian Knot" about the incident in Shaki.

Most commenters with Azerbaijani and Armenian surnames used the incident in the border village as a pretext for mutual grievances, including the use of profanity and derogatory comparisons to animals.

Other social media users expressed their opinions about the incident and Ani Avetisyan's version. Many users with Azerbaijani surnames questioned the victim's account, while users with Armenian surnames, on the contrary, found it plausible.

"If Musaev simply got lost - okay, it happens, there is no malice in that... If he is a deserter or a bit more complicated - fleeing from life-threatening persecution and violence - that’s a different matter. It’s more complicated here and there are options. He could have crossed the border and asked for asylum/protection/extradition to a third country. There could have been something to discuss, to think about. But he crossed the border with a weapon. And he did not surrender, but hid and did not try to return. [...] He stayed in the house, he took hostages, he shot at the children's mother in front of them. [...] It is wrong to return him without trial and sentence as just a lost person," wrote, in particular, Karen Babayan.

"Karen Babayan, in such a matter, you cannot trust your side about what happened there," objected Haci Qurbanov.

"Karen Babayan, firstly, no one justifies this soldier, and the Azerbaijani side warned the Armenian side that a soldier with a weapon was missing, possibly crossed the border. And also, importantly, neither I nor all of us know what happened there, we do not rely on sources, we speak our guesses, our arguments, this is wrong. Try to think logically, if he wanted to kill her, he would have killed her," wrote Samir Gasanov.

War has changed us all. It takes time for trust

"There are remnants of war, 30 years of hatred, fear of the border. People have suffered a lot over the years. I understand the woman. She acted out of panic and fear. Our people would have done the same... Elementary. If such a thing happened on the borders of Georgia or Russia, it would have ended peacefully. So think about it. War has changed us all. It takes time for trust. It will come in the end," expressed Agshin Mirzoyev.

Other users expressed their opinions more categorically. "If he wanted, there would be no one left alive there. The poor guy just wanted to leave, but the woman attacked him with a knife, and they tried to take his weapon away," wrote, in particular, Elvin Dadashov.

"Elvin Dadashov, what was the poor guy doing in someone else's house?", asked Armine Gasparyan. "The poor guy got lost and probably didn’t even realize he was already on Armenian territory. And the locals immediately made it clear to him where he was," replied Elvin Dadashov.

He is not a poor guy; for this woman, he is an armed soldier

"Elvin Dadashov, he is not a poor guy; for this woman, he is an armed soldier, posing a threat," corrected Irada Nuriyeva.

"This [offensive phrase] should be judged to the fullest extent, and the woman is a hero, well done," wrote Sergey Safaryan.

"If a soldier got lost, he must surrender to the authorities, and the authorities must protect the rights of the lost soldier and return him or make an exchange, but if the soldier violated laws and human rights on foreign territory, he should be judged strictly," stated Vlad Gazaryan. "He should sit for life [offensive word]," expressed Tigran Ter Grigoryan.

"With each passing day, the scenario becomes more epic. There are already hostages, gunfire, hand-to-hand combat, and knives… A couple more interviews, and it will turn out that she single-handedly neutralized an entire battalion. Hollywood is nervously smoking on the sidelines. It remains only to understand where the facts end and the director's fantasy begins," wrote Eldar Is.

"What was he trying to achieve, Armenians? Did he want to kill the children - why did he wait 15 minutes? To kill the woman - do you really believe he couldn’t handle a gun? Yes, he committed a crime, crossed the border, etc. But don’t spread nonsense," urged Farman Farajli.

"Shame. How is it that a woman with a knife in her hand won a fight against a soldier with a firearm? Liars, if he wanted to kill, he wouldn’t have been so gentle. Damn, and they still say he wanted to kill. He is a fugitive and is trying to escape," wrote Elchin Samadov.

A woman with one hand neutralized him - a fairy tale. As if she were Rambo

"Did you believe this fairy tale? Imagine, a soldier with a gun, a woman with a knife, and he doesn’t kill her. [...] Our soldier broke the law and left his post, that’s clear, and he will be punished. But the fact that he took the children hostage, and a woman with one hand neutralized him - a fairy tale. As if she were Rambo," addressed the participants of the discussion Mehman Həmidoğlu.

"Incredible story. Clearly lying," expressed Samir Akhundov. "Let any normal mother say that she wouldn’t defend her children from an enemy who ended up with a gun in her house," objected Nar Iyan.

The incident in Shaki raised questions for the Armenian authorities

Earlier, political observer Aram Amatuni held the Armenian authorities responsible for the incident with Musaev. "An important question: why was an armed man able to reach a residential house? On September 29, the Armenian side was already aware of the disappearance of the Azerbaijani serviceman, and on October 1 he ended up in Shaki," Amatuni told the "Caucasian Knot".

The need for a full investigation of the incident was pointed out by activist Susanna Petrosyan. "For many years, residents of border settlements have faced shelling, various provocations, and a constant sense of danger. Today, when gunfire is heard less often, such infiltrations can also create an atmosphere of fear," she told the "Caucasian Knot".

In turn, Azerbaijani lawyer Samad Ragimli suggested the possibility of exchanging Musaev. The Azerbaijani serviceman might have deserted after a conflict with his comrades, he suggested. Yerevan may prefer an exchange to further escalation of relations with Baku, Ragimli told the "Caucasian Knot".