Category: 2019

Three suspects arrested in August 2 bombing attack outside Yerevan

12:25, 3 August, 2019

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The Investigative Committee of Armenia says it has solved the August 2 roadside bombing outside Yerevan.

Three suspects, aged 56, 53 and 45, have been arrested, the Investigative Committee said in a news release.

Authorities say the suspects had planted the explosive device under a small bridge at the 15th kilometer of the Yerevan-Sevan highway in Kotayk province and detonated it when two vehicles were passing by. Earlier investigators said they are treating the incident as an attempted murder. No one was injured in the blast. The suspects targeted a man whose identity has only been revealed as M. Manukyan. Although authorities did not elaborate, unconfirmed media reports suggest the target was a former politician and a prominent businessman who owns a factory nearby the scene of the blast.

The Investigative Committee did not mention what specific explosives the perpetrators used. The motive of the attack remains unclear at the moment.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Artsakh ramps up security for 2019 Pan-Armenian Games

14:09, 3 August, 2019

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service of Artsakh has said it is increasing security across the country for the upcoming grand opening of the 7th Pan-Armenian Games which will take place on August 5 in Stepanakert City.

This year the Games are co-hosted by Armenia and Artsakh and aside from the grand opening several tournaments will also be held in Artsakh from August 6 to 9.

In a statement released on August 2, the National Security Service (NSS) of Artsakh said “with the purpose of the safe and high level organization of the pan-Armenian significance event, NSS agents are shifting to a heightened service regime for the coming days as ordered by the NSS Director”.

The agency has also opened a temporary hot-line that will operate from August 2-10 at 047-94-41-26. The NSS asked citizens to immediately dial the number in the event of noticing a suspicious person or item anywhere in the country.

Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan is expected to make an appearance at the inauguration of the 2019 Pan-Armenian Games.

The Artsakh NSS also released a video showing SWAT agents conducting drills.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Current absence of cross-border gunfire is result of tactical communication line – Armenian military

14:17, 3 August, 2019

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. According to the Armenian military, the quantity of gunfire attacks by Azerbaijani forces at the border have abruptly dropped in the past two days, moreover in certain individual areas no shootings took place at all.

Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Lt. General Artak Davtyan told reporters that incidents however periodically do occur at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Asked what kind of reaction the Armenian military is giving to these incidents, Davtyan said “No less than adequate”.

Reporters asked the general to comment on the fact that previously incidents were taking place only at the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact, whereas now shootings happen at the Armenia border as well. “This kind of incidents periodically happen at the Armenia-Azerbaijan section, however they weren’t resulting in deaths and victims, that is why a reaction as such wasn’t taking place. Unfortunately we had a death and one wounded, that is why the reaction happened from the broad public,” he said.

He said that each side at the Line of Contact has “its own goals and missions”.

“We’ve regularly had tension at the Tavush and Gegharkunik provinces sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, in the Nakhijevan direction, we have 1-2 cases of tension growth monthly, after which we have decrease or halt of gunfire. We must understand that the Line of Contact is an organism or a mechanism, which is constantly functioning, it’s not like everything is calm and that everything is turning out smoothly as we want to. These are bilateral processes, each party has its own goals and missions and wants to strengthen their positions by not allowing the adversary to strengthen theirs,” Davtyan said.

Asked whether or not the so called “operative communication – an emergency tactical line created between Armenia and Azerbaijan – was used, Davtyan said it was.  “The tactical communication is used based on necessity, in each case where growth of tension happens, of course we get in contact, as of this specific moment the absence of gunfire is a result of the tactical communication,” he added.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan