Pashinyan says according to unverified data, 32 Armenian soldiers were taken prisoner on November 16

YEREVAN, November 23. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was asked today about the fate of 24 Armenian servicemen communication with whom was lost on November 16 when fresh clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops occurred in Armenian province of Syunik.

Pashinyan said according to unverified data, more servicemen taken prisoner.

‘Some of those we thought were dead were actually captured, according to anecdotal evidence. We have 6 confirmed dead soldiers and 24+8 captured soldiers," Pashinyan said.

He added that these data need final confirmation. There is information that some of the captured soldiers were wounded, including one who is seriously wounded. Pashinyan also said that intensive work was underway for their return.

On November 16 Azerbaijani forces attempted to break through the Armenia’s state border before being repelled by Armenian troops. The Armenian Defense Ministry said November 17 morning that the enemy had up to 70 killed and wounded servicemen, as well as significant losses of military hardware, including 4 armored personnel carriers, 1 armored vehicle Sandcat, and 5 Russian-made trucks.

Later the ministry said that six Armenian soldiers were killed in the clashes, twelve servicemen were captured, while communication with 24 more servicemen was lost during the clashes and their fate was unknown.

On November 18 Pashinyan told the parliament that Russia’s Ministry of Defense made a set of proposals regarding the preparatory stage of delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which he said were acceptable to the Armenian side.-0-