National Security Service of Armenia informs that the law enforcement bodies continue intensive negotiations with the participants of the group, which seized the building of the Patrol-Guard Service Regiment on Sunday morning, for preventing new bloodshed.
The press-service of the NSS informs that on the current stage intensive negotiations aim at organizing the group's surrender and release of hostages without holding special events.
The NSS urged everyone not to interfere in the settlement of the issues, which are exclusively under jurisdiction of the authorized bodies as well as not to hinder due and efficient fulfillment of obligations by the relevant authorities to contribute to reaching final goal.
It was earlier reported that the members of the Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sassoun) group have been thinking over the Armenian National Security Service's (NSS) proposal since yesterday and are to give their reply before 7 pm local time, Alec Yenikomshian, representative of the Founding Parliament opposition movement, told reporters on July 19. At the same time he refused to present the main demands laid down by the NSS.
To recall, on July 17, Artsakh war hero Zhirayr Sefilyan's armed supporters, who are calling themselves "Sasna Tsrer" (The Daredevils of Sassoun), seized the building of the Patrol-Guard Service Regiment in Erebuni district of Yerevan. They demand releasing Sefilyan, who was arrested on June 20 on suspicion of acquisition and keeping of weapons and ammunition. Deputy Head of the Patrol- Guard Service Regiment, Colonel Artur Vanoyan was killed in the incident. The armed group is currently holding 4 people as hostages, with Deputy Chief of Armenian Police Vardan Yeghiazaryan and Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police Valery Osipyan among them.