Family Members Of Missing Armenian Servicemen Break Into Ministry of Defense Compound
Family members of missing Armenian servicemen broke into the Ministry of Defense compound in Yerevan yesterday, amidst renewed protests calling for the Armenian government to put more effort into repatriating Armenian servicemen captured following a recent ceasefire violation.
The break-in followed reports that the Azerbaijani military had captured as many as 160 Armenian holdouts in a “sweeping operation” carried out over the past few days. Family members of missing Armenian servicemen that spoke to News.am claimed that they would not leave the ministry compound, at least not before ministry assurances that steps would be taken to find and bring home their family members were made.
The Azerbaijani “sweeping operation” follows a breach of the ceasefire on 11th December. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia have officially blamed each other for the breach, which took place near the towns of Old Tagar and Khtsaberd (Çaylaqqala in Azeri) in the Khojavend province. Three Armenian soldiers and four Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in the incident, with one Armenian soldier and an Azerbaijani civilian injured as well.
Unconfirmed accounts claim that the four Armenian soldiers attempted to move into the village of Sur after holding out for nearly two months, running low on supplies amidst worsening weather. Video claimed to have been from the aftermath shows Azerbaijani soldiers administering medical aid to the injured Armenian soldier, who was rendered hors de combat following an abdominal injury.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense says that Russian peacekeepers were requested to the area to assist in facilitating the withdrawal of other Armenian holdouts in the area. However, footage posted to social media suggests that the “anti-terrorist operation” to capture the holdouts is led by Azerbaijani forces, with some accounts claiming up to 160 holdouts captured by Azerbaijani special forces to date. The Artsakh human rights ombudsman has confirmed that at least 60 Armenian soldiers had been captured in recent days. Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan is now claiming that Russian peacekeepers have been “blocked” from entering the area of the operation, claims which the Russian government has not confirmed as of writing.
There have been sporadic rumors of engagements between Armenian holdouts and Azerbaijani forces, however, up until the 11th December incident, none of them had been confirmed by the governments of either country. Or, at least, warranted a formal complaint against the other government.
In somewhat more cheerful news, the first exchanges of prisoners of war have taken place. The exchanges are being carried out on an “all for all” principle, although no statements have been made yet on whether the recently captured holdouts will also be returned under the agreement.