NSS: Armed group refuses to lay down arms and release all hostages
Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) says as a result of long negotiations with the armed group that continues to keep Erebuni Police Department under control they have succeeded to release one police officer and one civilian - an ambulance driver, who were held as hostages inside the seized building. Anyway, the NSS says the stand-off at the police building continues and the group refused to free the other hostages, among them senior officials of the Armenia police. Nor do they agree lay down their arms and surrender themselves to the law enforcement bodies. “The life and health of the hostages is still at risk. The terrorists that have alredy committed a series of crimes and have a large quantity of arms at their disposal, pose an obvious and direct threat not only to the hostages, but also to the public, NSS said in a press release. It adds that negotiations are on-going and that law enforcement agencies are taking all possible and available measures to find a peaceful solution to the situation, but ‘it may not be enough under the circumstances.’ We therefore urge once again the members of the armed group to refrain from taking criminal actions resulting in new victims and other severe consequences and stop armed resistance. There is still time and opportunity [for it],” the NSS said.
