The armed group, holding hostages at a police station in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, has also taken hostage doctors who had been sent to the building to help the wounded. Two members of the armed group have surrendered after exchanging fire with police.
Photo: Reuters / Vahram Baghdasaryan / Photolure
Two members of the armed group, holding hostages at a police station in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, surrendered after exchanging fire with police, the head of Information and Public Relations of the Police of Armenia, Ashot Aharonian, said.
“Two members of the armed group which seized the police building in Yerevan, Gagik Egiazaryan and Aram Akopyan, have surrendered to police,” Ashot Aharonian wrote on Facebook.
There was a gunfight at the police building and “as a result a police officer and Pavel Manukyan and his son Aram [both members of the armed group] were wounded.”
Later, the gunmen took hostage the doctors who have come to the place for the provision of medical care to the wounded.
“As previously reported, members of the armed group said that there are two wounded at the territory of the police station. Law enforcers urged them to allow for the medical care being provided, but received a negative answer,” the press service of the Armenian Police said.
According to the police, later, members of the armed group demanded doctors, saying that the condition of the wounded is very serious.
The police explained that they sent ambulance doctors to the captured building, but when they have arrived at the scene, the armed group took doctors hostage. This incident equated the armed group to terrorists.
Negotiations to free hostages are currently holding.
There also are reports that police detained around 30 people at a rally near the building supporting the cause of the hostage takers.
The police station in the Erebuni district of Yerevan was brought under control of the armed group on July 17. The gunmen took several police officers hostage and killed one of them in the process. The group demands to release Armenian opposition figure Jirair Sefilyan, accused of the illegal acquisition and possession of arms.
On July 23, a member of armed group, which seized police station in Armenian capital Yerevan, Varuzhan Avetisyan said that his organization will not give up until their requirements are fulfilled.