Armenian security service arrests officers in raid on military unit

The Armenian National Security Service (NSS) is carrying out an operation at a military unit in Echmiadzin.

Officers have been present at the Ministry of Defence facility since the night of October 30, and several servicemen, including high-ranking officers, have been taken into custody, Caliber.Az reports per Armenian Hraparak newspaper. 

The authorities have not yet disclosed the reasons for the raid.

The operation is linked to a high-profile criminal case involving the former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Andranik Makaryan, along with several other military personnel.

The case centers on combat operations in the Zangilan region in October 2020. According to the investigation, Makaryan commanded a unit of 62 servicemen from a so-called “chemical” military unit, which was surrounded by Azerbaijani forces. The group suffered heavy losses: 12 soldiers were killed, five were captured, and the fate of 24 others remains unknown.

The case has already reached the courtroom stage. 

By Sabina Mammadli