Armenian authorities arrest five men for plotting terrorist act

YEREVAN, November 2, /ARKA/. Five suspects have been arrested in Armenia for preparing a terrorist attack, the National Security Service (NSS) has reported.

It said the suspects together with unidentified accomplices were planning a terrorist attack, seizure of government buildings and assassinations and their goal was to disrupt the operation of government agencies.

During the search in their apartments, the law-enforcers revealed firearms and ammunition, a drone and two gas cylinders presumably designed for mounting, military uniforms, handcuffs, surveillance equipment, computers, cell phones, communication equipment, ten unused SIM cards of Armenian and Russian operators and other items.

The suspects had opened Ukrainian and Moldovan telegram channels under the name " National Salvation Uprising" in order to "involve broad segments of the population in the terrorist attack".

The suspects had also purchased medical supplies and planned to move their families to Georgia prior to the attack.

The suspects had detailed plans for ambush, surveillance and retreat from the buildings..

The National Security Service said the law-enforcers were working to identify other accomplices of the suspects.

In late September the National Security Service had arrested eight men on charges of plotting to overthrow Armenia’s government. One of the suspects was a Karabakh war veteran and ex-mayor of Yerevan Albert Bazeyan The others were members of an obscure militant group called Khachakirner (Crusaders). -0-