Shootout injures one officer, 4 gunmen in Armenia

A police officer and four gunmen have reportedly been injured in an exchange of fire at a police compound in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

Police spokesman Ashot Aharonyan said Wednesday that the clashes broke out at the police compound that was seized over ten days ago.

The gunmen stormed the facility on July 17, killing a police officer.

Aharonyan said that two of the gunmen and the police officer were in hospital being treated for their wounds while another two wounded armed men remained on the compound.

He said gunmen, holed up in the police station, took four medics hostage, as they “went into the captured territory to assist two members of the armed group who refused to go to hospital.”

“The police are taking steps to free the doctors through negotiations,” Aharonyan said.

The armed men have been demanding the release of Zhirair Sefilyan, an opposition leader accused by the government of plotting civil unrest. Sefilyan was jailed in June over allegations of illegal weapons possession.

Also on Monday, thousands of people staged a rally in Yerevan to voice solidarity with the pro-opposition gunmen.

The assailants had taken nine people hostage but gradually released all of them. They remained holed up inside the police building surrounded by security forces.

SS