Armenia denies claims another three Azerbaijanis crossed in Syunik

Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) has denied claims circulating online that three Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes were in Syunik’s Kuris village. According to 24News, locals in their village saw three people whom they assumed were Azerbaijanis. When they tried to talk to them, the people escaped. According to media reports, Armenian and Russian border patrol officers were searching for these individuals using unidentified flying objects, presumed to be drones.

The head of Kuris, Davit Ohanjanyan, did not confirm on Friday that the Azerbaijanis were in the villages, but told 24News there was an incident during the night. He did not clarify any details of the incident, nor whether the three individuals may have been soldiers. OC Media reached out to Ohanjanyan for more details, but he did not respond. The NSS told other media outlets that the claims are ‘misinformation’.

In response to the NSS’s denial, 24News said the Azerbaijani presence was ‘alleged’ and that Ohanjanyan’s claim that the incident happened at night confirmed their reporting at the time.

RFE/RL spoke to a local resident who confirmed seeing three unknown people in the village yesterday evening, but did not mention that they were Azerbaijani. In response to a question from RFE/RL, Ohanjanyan said that he had not seen any Azerbaijanis himself and that the authorities are now dealing with the situation.

The claims came a week after Armenia detained Azerbaijani soldier Nasimi Musayev in Syunik for causing grievous bodily harm with a weapon, illegally carrying a firearm, entering a private home without permission, illegal border crossing, and weapons smuggling. They claim Musayev illegally crossed the Armenian border and shot an Armenian woman, Ani Avetisyan, in the village of Shaki in Syunik province.

There was information circulated online that the Azerbaijani soldier did not act alone, but as part of a saboteur group. The NSS, along with Defence Minister Suren Papikyan, has denied allegations that Musayev infiltrated Armenia on Baku’s command. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Wednesday that Azerbaijan had not requested the extradition of the detained Azerbaijani soldier.