The Azeri town of Ciraqli sits almost on top of the Line of Contact dividing Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, the region controlled by Armenian-backed separatists. There has been fighting around the town in the last week, but residents have been dealing with conflict in the area for far longer than that. RFE/RL photographer Abbas Atilay went to the town in the Agdam district to record what life is like there for the residents.
An Azerbaijani Town On The Front Lines
![Siyavus, 36, says he witnesses clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces on a daily basis. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/978c7bd5-772b-47b8-abc1-03557da0204b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Siyavus, 36, says he witnesses clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces on a daily basis.
![One of the doors on Siyavus's property is less than 100 meters from the zone of conflict.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0b26d419-9ce6-42e8-8862-70ff784d0490_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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One of the doors on Siyavus's property is less than 100 meters from the zone of conflict.
![Siyavus has two boys. One stands at the bullet-riddled door on his property.](https://gdb.rferl.org/b44ea1b2-9d1a-496b-92fd-f481d5605b90_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Siyavus has two boys. One stands at the bullet-riddled door on his property.
![Siyavus always checks for danger when passing areas that are in the line of fire.](https://gdb.rferl.org/196a97a6-13ca-4387-afee-15bf19f0d2b1_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Siyavus always checks for danger when passing areas that are in the line of fire.
![There are also creative ways to look around dangerous corners.](https://gdb.rferl.org/59f43cd2-aeed-4297-9b79-fff521241c57_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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There are also creative ways to look around dangerous corners.
![Siyavus collects stray bullets that he digs out of the walls of his property.](https://gdb.rferl.org/8a713abb-d1cc-48d6-9572-a9e0858cc3bc_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Siyavus collects stray bullets that he digs out of the walls of his property.
![Siyavus is concerned about his mother's safety. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/9ee1bc4b-6e1d-4c1a-945f-918e99390a62_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Siyavus is concerned about his mother's safety.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/5a450f2a-6477-4412-b337-3824847f73bd_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![The doors and windows of the house are reinforced with concrete to protect against stray bullets.](https://gdb.rferl.org/807dfd69-d65e-4fdd-8c06-137237bcef58_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The doors and windows of the house are reinforced with concrete to protect against stray bullets.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/2180ef47-c4a6-4bff-8fae-d8abb270bcd4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![The walls of the house are pock-marked with old bullet holes.](https://gdb.rferl.org/481435d8-9de8-46a6-91e8-64588d7f1568_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The walls of the house are pock-marked with old bullet holes.