Four Doctors Held Hostage in Armenian Capital by Armed Group

An armed group took four ambulance doctors hostage in the Armenian capital, the Ministry of Healthcare of Armenia stated Wednesday. Earlier this group captured a regiment of police patrol forces.

Four ambulance staff members were held hostage by an armed group that had seized a police station in Armenia's capital Yerevan, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.

"Doctors Norayr Tevanyan and Salvador Khechoyan, as well as nurses David Tonoyan and Malina Markaryan had been taken hostage," the ministerial statement said.

Earlier in the day an armed group had seized the police building in Yerevan. After a gunfight with police two members of the group haev surrendered to police. They were transferred to the hospital after the gunfight.

On July 17, an armed group took several police officers hostage at a police station in the Erebuni district of Yerevan, demanding the release of Jirair Sefilian, an opposition politician and founder of the New Armenia Public Salvation Front.

Sefilian, who took part in the 1988-1994 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan, is accused of the illegal acquisition and possession of arms.

On July 23, a member of armed group, which seized police station in Armenian capital Yerevan, Varuzhan Avetisyan said that his organization will not give up until their requirements are fulfilled.