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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Yerevan confirms six Armenian soldiers captured by Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces

The press service of the Armenian Defense Ministry reported that they carried out engineering work

© Antoine Merlet/Hans Lucas via Reuters Connect, archive

YEREVAN, May 27. /TASS/. Six Armenian soldiers have been captured by Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces while carrying out engineering activities in the border zone of the Gegharkunik province, the press service of the Armenian Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

"Early in the morning on May 27, six military servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces were surrounded and captured while carrying out engineering work in the border zone of the Gegharkunik province. All necessary measures are being taken to ensure the return the captured military servicemen," the press service said.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry earlier reported that six Armenian soldiers had been captured. It noted that they tried to cross the border between the two countries.

According to the Defense Ministry, on Thursday morning, a concentration of several pieces of Armenian military equipment, including tanks, was observed near the border.

On May 12, the Armenian Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces had tried to carry out "certain work" in one of the border districts of the Syunik province in order to "adjust the border." Later in the evening that day, Armenia’s Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces had crossed Armenia’s state border, advancing 3.5 kilometers deep into its territory. Later on, Yerevan said it had contacted the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) over the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border requesting consultations on the issue.

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