Shooting in the Armenian Parliament

    Tonight a group of terrorists stormed the Parliament. According to preliminary information the Prime Minister of Armenia and the chairman of the national assembly were killed. 
Members of parliament are being held hostage.

On October 27 at 17:10 during the current session of the National Assembly, a group of armed terrorists burst into the room and opened fire. Journalists on the scene reported that the fire was directed towards the prime minister Vazgen Sarkissyan and the chairman of the parliament Karen Demirchyan. The sound of the shooting could be heard on the streets surrounding the Parliament building. 
Later, people started to gather around the Parliament building and emergency vehicles arrived. The building is currently surrounded by police.

One of the Internews' cameramen Gagik Saratikyan from "Lusalik" TV - company in Charentsavan managed to enter the parliament building. The terrorists requested to speak to journalists. He was inside the building for over an hour. He saw corpses and wounded people lying on the floor of the hall and the corridor. He also claims to have seen the bodies of the murdered prime minister and the chairman of the N.A.

Unfortunately, the tape from Gagik's camera was confiscated by the police when he was leaving the building. The mass media of Armenia reports several different versions of the incident. However, the whole story is still unclear. Journalists report that one of the terrorists is Nairi Hunanyan, a former journalist and former member of the "Dashnaktsutiun" party.

At present, negotiations are taking place between the government and the terrorists. The President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan himself is heading the negotiating process. According to the latest reports, the group of terrorists want to speak live on National TV. The information services of National TV, "A1 +", "AR" "Mayr Hairenik" and other TV - companies are constantly updating viewers.

Yerevan
23:30
27 October 1999

 


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