BREAKING: An Azerbaijani serviceman was detained in Armenia’s Syunik Province after attacking an Armenian woman inside her home in the village of Shaki, two days after Armenian authorities were warned that he had disappeared from his military unit and may have illegally crossed into Armenia.
According to Armenia’s National Security Service, Azerbaijan’s State Security Service informed the Armenian side on September 29 that a serviceman from one of its military units had left his post under unknown circumstances.
The Azerbaijani side warned that he may have illegally crossed into Armenia. The NSS says Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities then began search operations.
Two days later, on October 1 at 2:15 p.m., Armenia’s 112 emergency center received a report that an Armenian citizen had been injured in Shaki.
The NSS later confirmed that the attacker was the missing Azerbaijani serviceman and that he had been detained.
Shaki village head Ruben Manucharyan told Azatutyun that an Azerbaijani-speaking man armed with an automatic rifle entered one of the village homes and injured the woman inside in front of her three children.
Manucharyan said he could not confirm whether she had been shot or injured with another weapon, but said bloodstains were visible at the scene. Her life is not in danger.
Despite being warned on September 29 that the Azerbaijani serviceman may have crossed into Armenia, and despite authorities saying search operations were underway, he was not located before reaching Shaki, entering a civilian home and attacking a woman in front of her children.
The NSS has not explained where or when he crossed the border, how he was able to move through Syunik undetected, how he reached Shaki while search operations were underway, or why he was only detained after a civilian was attacked.
Those questions now require clear answers from the Armenian authorities responsible for border security and the search operation.
301 is following the case closely and will provide updates as further details emerge.
