Two dead as car rams into marching on-duty military servicemen

13:15,

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS. 5 on-duty military servicemen were run over by a motorist near the village of Aramus around 02:00 April 15, the Defense Ministry said.

Senior Sergeant Aram Badalyan (born 1988) and Sergeant Levon Mkrtumyan (born 1992) were killed instantly by the impact.

Another serviceman is hospitalized at the central military hospital. He is in a serious condition. The two other victims suffered no injuries and have returned to their service location after passing a medical examination.

Police said the motorist who struck the servicemen had fled the scene.

A 33-year-old suspect who was driving a Mercedes sedan was apprehended hours after the incident. Police didn’t say whether or not they suspect the incident to be a vehicle-ramming attack or a hit-and-run.

The Defense Ministry released a statement, offering condolences to the families of the two servicemen who died.

The servicemen were conducting a march at the time of the incident.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS