Healthcare Ministry of Armenia considers it impossible to fulfill the demand of the members of "Daredevils of Sasoun" group on exchange of the medical workers of the ambulance service, who were taken hostages earlier to a mobile surgical unit with specialists.
"Armenia's Healthcare Minister Armen Muradyan and the headquarters of the Ministry discussed the demand of the armed group on exchange of medical workers on the mobile surgical center with specialists headed by Armen Muradyan and came to a conclusion that such demands can not be fulfilled", the Spokesperson of the Ministry Anahit Haytayan told ArmInfo's correspondent.
At the same time she noted that at the moment the Healthcare Ministry of Armenia only considers the possibility of releasing the hostages with no preconditions. However, the Spokesperson could not explain how this can be done. To note, chief epidemiologist of Armenia Ara Asoyan voluntarily agreed to surrender to Daredevils of Sasoun in exchange for the hostages.
A few hours earlier, Police of Armenia informed that a group of medical workers of the Ambulance service arrived at the territory of the Police Patrol Service Regiment that was seized by the armed group 'Daredevils of Sasoun' on July 17 to provide aid to the two wounded members of the group. However, physicians Norayr Tevonyan and Slavador Khechoyan, paramedic David Tononyan, and nurse Malina Margaryan were taken hostage by the armed group.
After this statement Daredevils of Sasoun made a statement, which noted that Healthcare Minister of Armenia Armen Muradyan and surgeons on mobile surgical center should arrive at the territory of the seized building and to operate on the injured, only in this case they will be ready to release medical workers of the Ambulance service.