YEREVAN. – More than 30 hours have passed since the incident that occurred in a police station in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan, and the armed group is still holding several policemen hostage.
But the situation is calm at the moment, and nothing extraordinary has been recorded.
Police Chief of Armenia Vladimir Gasparyan, and National Security Service (NSS) Chief Georgi Kutoyan arrived at the scene early Monday morning. But they left shortly thereafter, and without responding to the journalists’ questions.
As reported earlier, the NSS issued a statement noting that a police officer and a civilian were released over night.
It was noted, however, that the armed group refuses to release other forcibly detained persons, including senior police officials, and put down their weapons and surrender to authorities.
The First Deputy Chief of Police of Armenia, Hunan Poghosyan, informed that the armed group is currently holding five policemen hostage.
Even though the street running in front of the said police station is still closed, active movement by police vehicles is occasionally observed.
A group of armed men stormed into a police regiment, on early Sunday morning, and took several police officers hostage. One officer, deputy regiment commander Artur Vanoyan, was killed. In addition, four police officers and one of the people who participated in the attack were wounded.
Negotiations are still underway to release the remaining hostages and end the armed attack.