Gunman stormed the headquarters of the patrol force regiment of Armenia’s Police this morning and took people hostage, Press Service of the Armenian National Security Service reports.
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The country’s police chief Valery Osipyan is believed to have been taken hostage.
The attack is thought to have been launched to demand the release of Armenian opposition figure Jirair Sefilyan, who was detained on June 20 after authorities allegedly uncovered a plot to seize several buildings and telecommunication facilities in Yerevan.
Negotiations were underway to resolve the situation peacefully, the security service said, accusing the hostage takers’ supporters of spreading false rumours on the internet that an armed uprising against the government was underway.
The denied rumours of an “uprising”.
“We have already seized one of the main police hubs in Yerevan and are in control of the Erebuni”, their statement said, referring to an area in the south of the Armenian capital.
The seige comes days after a failed coup in neighbouring Turkey by a faction of Turkish military, in which 265 people were killed and about 1,500 injured.
It also said that it was now in negotiation for a “peaceful surrender” with the armed men holed up in the police station.
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The statement added: “We assure you that this and any other illegal activity will be curbed by the law enforcement agencies and their perpetrators will be neutralised and punished by law”.
