At Least Three Armenian Servicemen Killed in Azerbaijani Attack

Azerbaijani Forces Attack Northeastern Section of Armenia-Azerbaijan Border;

Armenian Defense Ministry Says At Least Seven Azerbaijani Servicemen Killed

YEREVAN (A.W.)—At least three Armenian servicemen were killed and several others were injured in an unprovoked Azerbaijani attack on the northeastern section of the border between the Armenia and Azerbaijan on Dec. 29.

Armenian and Karabakh armed forces holding joint military exercises at a training ground near the town of Tigranakert, NKR in 2014 (Photo: AFP)

Senior Lieutenant Shavarsh Melikyan and Privates Edgar Narayan and Erik Abovyan were killed in the attack, according to the Armenian Defense Ministry.

The Armenian Defense Ministry described the incident, which took place near the border village of Chinari, as an infiltration attempt by Azerbaijani Armed Forces, during which the Azerbaijani side used weapons of various caliber, including sniper rifles and grenade launchers.

According to Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovannisyan, Azerbaijani forces suffered up to seven losses as the Armenian troops “neutralized” the Azerbaijani attacks.

These unconfirmed photos of the fallen Armenian servicemen began circulating soon after the attack (L to R) Edgar Narayan, Erik Abovyan, and Shavarsh Melikyan.

Azerbaijan’s Dec. 29 attack on Armenia comes almost eight months after it launched a full-blown attack on multiple positions of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Line of Contact (LoC) overnight on April 1-2.

In April, the Azerbaijani Army employed tanks, military helicopters, drones, and various caliber weapons in an assault that targeted the LoC on the southern, southeastern, and northeastern fronts. At least 91 Armenian servicemen and 9 civilians were killed by Azerbaijani troops in April.

17 Comments

  1. Real hero’s! May God Bless you all and bless your grieving families. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten!

    I have asked this question again and again: why cant there be a path for the diaspora youth to serve in the Armenian-Arstakh Army? Many Armenians would do it instantly creating a larger potent army. Many will stay after service and repopulate Artsakh and contribute to the motherland. A diaspora infused army also creates a stronger dedication from the outside world as diaspora youth on the front lines carries a different weight of interest from diaspora resources. Best of all, Armenia will have a large pool of a trained, combat ready army, in case of an emergency or if full scale war resumes. Its a plus-plus-plus for all Armenians.

    • “CSTO member-states will interfere militarily upon a member’s request.” Has the RoA government officially requested other CSTO members’ help?

  2. The Armenian government leadership should go beyond granting diaspora Armenians a passport of the Republic of Armenia. The government of Armenia should grant voting rights and the right to serve in the Army of the Republic of Armenia. This is vital for the survival of Armenia. Let’s take the lead from Israel. Jews from all over the world serve in the Israeli army. I have two Jewish neighbors who have dual citizenship and serve in the Israeli Army. It’s high time that the diaspora push for change. This change in policy is a question of survival for. Armenia. It will reverse the depopulation trend and will strengthen the Armenian Army with new blood .

    • At least one third of Israeli army are born of Russian-Jews, even their defense minister, Mr. Lieberman born in Soviet Union! I am sure all candidates can go with proper screening, before ending up and serving, our beloved Armenian army!CSTO army is good, for other members, but Armenia!
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avigdor_Lieberman

    • Be honest with your selves. How many diasporans today would be willing to serve in the Armenian military? The answer is: only a handful, at best. How many diasporans today either support or work for Western-funded institutions carrying out subversive agendas in Armenia? The answer is: quite a lot. Opening up to the diaspora unconditionally would bring more Western-funded agents into the country than true patriots. I say this as a diasporan.

    • {Opening up to the diaspora unconditionally would bring more Western-funded agents into the country than true patriots.}

      Good point. Unfortunately, this maybe one of the reasons why the RoA seems to be reluctant to open up completely to the diaspora.

    • {How many diasporans today either support or work for Western-funded institutions carrying out subversive agendas in Armenia? The answer is: quite a lot. Opening up to the diaspora unconditionally would bring more Western-funded agents into the country than true patriots. I say this as a diasporan.}

      Agree.
      So do I.

      I am not aware of _any_ Jewish Diaspora organizations, political or otherwise, working for anybody but the interests of Israel.

      When Diaspora Armenians place the interests of Republic of Armenia and Republic of NKR over and above any allegiance to _any_ Armenian Diaspora political party or foreign NGO, then RoA will throw out the welcome mat.

      Nobody in Israel doubts who Lieberman’s allegiance is to.
      Yet in Armenia we have people running for high office who are funded by foreign NGOs. Thank God for RoA NSS patriotic vigilance.

      SorosaFunded NGOs, both here and RoA, employing Armenians, are working day and night to sow distrust of RoA authorities and civic institutions. Working day and night to start a SorosaMaidan in Armenia.

      No Jew or Israeli does or will ever do that.
      That’s the difference.

    • @ Norserunt, How many would enlist? I bet more then you think. You would make it a duty for all Armenian youth to enlist and serve their motherland.. I have yet to hear any conformation of any policy allowing diaspora enlistment from Armenian officials however. Also western paid infiltration? Armenia belongs to all Armenians. One can view the current Armenian regime as not patriotic, noble, honorable or selfless. In my opinion, that’s the reason they will not allow diaspora youth to serve: because it would bring influx with possible wealth and power and may be a direct threat to the regime’s control and THEIR REMITTANCE SYSTEM which they like. They like emigration. Its means more for them. The very reason not many invest in Armenia is its corrupt nature. And your worried about western non-patriots? We should ALL AGREE that our enemy are the Turks who murdered and stole our nation with ONLY a just acknowledgment and compensation as a prerequisite for becoming friendly and a free and independent Artsakh. And that we are ONE Armenia regardless of where we live. Nothing less.

  3. “CSTO army is good, for other members, but Armenia!”

    Yes, a-ha… valiant NATO will immediately fly to help.

    • John,
      Why we Armenians always rely on NATO or CSTO. Don’t you think it is time for us to become our own landlords and not to be slaves of others. Look into our disastrous Armenia’s history, where foreigners destroyed our unity, divided us like tribal nation, send us toward 4 corners of the world. It is time to mature up and stop worshiping Eastern or Western masters! Armenia needs nation building, patriotic government!

  4. Armenia gets cheep (and free) weaponry, military intelligence and military training because of its memberhsip in CSTO. Also, by keeping Turks at bay in the west, Russia gives Armenia the opportunity to concentrate efforts on keeping Azeris at bay in the east. I find it very funny that many of our Russophobes now want Russians to spoon feed us Armenians, yet they also want “independece” from Russia. Have you Russophobes really thought through your Russophobia?

    • CSTO and their boss Putin have one thing in the head “get even with NATO” and use Armenia as “step goat”. Brainwashed people like yourself are Putin’s mamushka, who play lullaby, and put them in deep heavenly sleep, for his future KGB style adventurism with NATO, where Armenians will pay the price! WHY???

    • To “GB” and all other anti-Russian cyberwarriors who populate this place: Your Anglo-American rhetoric (devised by “think tanks” and the US State Department) does not work anymore. After Libya, Syria and Ukraine; after Snowden and Assange, humanity is waking up. There is a political awakening going on around the world today. The mini revolutions going on in Europe and Trump’s election show that this awakening is even happening in the Western world. Western powers today are in an alliance with evil. Russia today is a light onto the world. Without Russia there would have been another genocide in the Middle East. Without Russia there would be no Armenia. Russia and Armenia are natural allies and will therefore remain forever connected. Anyone that tries to drive a wedge between Armenia and Russia is evil and an enemy of the Armenian state.

  5. CSTO, is nothing more than a dog and pony show (Belarus? Kazakhstan? Kyrgyzstan? Tajikistan?).

    “In case an act of aggression is committed against any of the Member States, all the other Member States will provide it with necessary assistance.”

    But yet, CSTO has never once provided Armenia with one single bit of assistance against Azerbaijan’s persistent and brutal aggressions. As for Russia (who pretends to be Armenia’s ally) which has over five thousand troops stationed on Armenia’s soil, it has never once helped to defend Armenia against Azerbaijan. Every single one of the soldiers who have been killed as a result of Azerbaijan’s brutal campaign of terrorism against Armenia have been Armenian soldiers.

  6. I was 39 years old, when the Karabakh War ended in 1994. I had a genuine interest in joining the Crusader Battalion in the Armenian Stronghold. But, there were a number of obstacles which prevent me from doing it. I deeply regret it now. From the years of distancing itself from the diaspora, Armenia has lost as much or more than I did, because the potential contributions have gone missing. The diaspora itself is to blame for failing to realize its own potential.

    Essentially, this is what stopped me: (1) Confronting a language barrier. I spoke very little Armenian, and almost no Russian. (2) Trouble with travel expenses, and monetary problems. (3) Visa Permission for Permanent Residency, and complications that arose from it. (4) My peripheral status in the Armenian Diaspora, alienated as a half-blood Armenian, with a Non-Armenian last name. (5) A fear factor, primarily about culture shock, but not about confronting the enemy. I had long dreamed of doing so.

    In fact, I visited Armenia, during the Karabakh War. And, I attended a protest Rally, in 1989.

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