Yerevan: NSS arrests accomplices of armed group that seized police HQJuly 22, 2016 - 22:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A group of people affiliated with the members of the armed group that stormed a police department in Yerevan and took everyone inside hostage have been arrested, Armenia's National Security Service reports. The armed group are members of the Sasna Tsrer movement. One police officer was killed, and several more were wounded in a shootout that broke as the members of the group hit the gates of the police department with a Ural track. Several captives have been set free so far. The hostages include Armenia's deputy police chief General Major Vardan Eghiazaryan and Yerevan deputy police chief Colonel Valeri Osipyan. The group demand the release of Jirair Sefilian, the founder of the Founding Parliament who was arrested on June 20, as he and a group of people had allegedly planned to seize premises and communication facilities, including the Yerevan TV tower. According to the NSS, those inside the police HQ "directly supervise and give instructions to their accomplices so that the latter can organize and implement provocative and criminal acts that endanger citizens' lives and spread panic and incite clashes among them." The NSS said a person was arrested as he was trying to illegally take weapons, including grenades to the blocked area near the seized police department. Another one was arrested while carrying plastic bags with Molotov cocktails to later use them in the same area. "Other people, complicit with the armed group are under constant surveillance of competent state bodies," the NSS said. "Every measure is being taken to suspend and suppress possible illegal actions." The Security Service in its message urged people to be vigilant in crowded areas, immediately leave the territory in the event of noticing strange behavior or suspicious objects and inform law enforcement authorities about the incident. Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. |