The Nagorno Karabakh Defence Ministry refuted Azeri reports claiming an infiltration was attempted on Armenian side on the morning of Dec 27, with serviceman Arsen Baghdasaryan taken hostage.

“The statement of Azerbaijani Defense Ministry about a cross-border incursion attempt by Karabakh forces in the Aghdam direction is disinformation,” Panorama.am said quoting the press service of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Ministry.

“As regards the information that Arsen Baghdasaryan was taken captive, the NKR Defense Army reports that this person, being a contract serviceman of the Defense Army, used to regularly desert the place of his permanent military deployment, for which he was temporarily expelled from military service.

“Details of the incident are being specified,” says the statement.