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| Hostage Standoff at Yerevan Police Building in Armenia Enters 2nd Day | Hostage Standoff at Yerevan Police Building in Armenia Enters 2nd Day |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| MOSCOW — Militants who attacked a police building in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, killing one person, remained holed up with a number of hostages for a second day on Monday, demanding that the government resign and that it release an opposition leader. | MOSCOW — Militants who attacked a police building in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, killing one person, remained holed up with a number of hostages for a second day on Monday, demanding that the government resign and that it release an opposition leader. |
| Two hostages were released overnight on Monday after intense negotiations, the National Security Service of Armenia said in a statement, and special forces helped release two others a day earlier. | Two hostages were released overnight on Monday after intense negotiations, the National Security Service of Armenia said in a statement, and special forces helped release two others a day earlier. |
| Those who were still believed to be held included the deputy head of Armenia’s national police, Maj. Gen. Vardan Egiazaryan, and the deputy head of Yerevan’s police, Col. Valery Osipyan, according to local news websites. | |
| The confrontation resulted in one death on Sunday during the initial capture of the building. A police officer, Col. Artur Vanoyan, was killed and three others were wounded, the local news website Panorama.am reported. | The confrontation resulted in one death on Sunday during the initial capture of the building. A police officer, Col. Artur Vanoyan, was killed and three others were wounded, the local news website Panorama.am reported. |
| Television reports from the scene showed blocked streets in the Yerebuni district, on the outskirts of Yerevan, with armored vehicles and police cars circling the police building. | Television reports from the scene showed blocked streets in the Yerebuni district, on the outskirts of Yerevan, with armored vehicles and police cars circling the police building. |
| Officials expressed optimism about negotiating a peaceful release of the remaining hostages, believed to be about five, but the talks had dragged on for more than a day. The statement from the National Security Service called on the hostage-takers to lay down their weapons, while noting that negotiations alone might not suffice. | |
| “Law enforcement agencies are doing everything possible to end this peacefully, but in the circumstances it might not be enough,” the statement said. | “Law enforcement agencies are doing everything possible to end this peacefully, but in the circumstances it might not be enough,” the statement said. |
| The hostage-takers demanded the release of the opposition leader Jirair Sefilian, who was jailed in June on charges of weapons possession. | The hostage-takers demanded the release of the opposition leader Jirair Sefilian, who was jailed in June on charges of weapons possession. |
| The group initially released a statement calling for people to go into the streets to protest the government, prompting speculation that the attack was inspired by the unsuccessful coup in neighboring Turkey. | The group initially released a statement calling for people to go into the streets to protest the government, prompting speculation that the attack was inspired by the unsuccessful coup in neighboring Turkey. |
| The seizure was not part of a wider armed uprising in Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus, the National Security Service insisted in its statement. | The seizure was not part of a wider armed uprising in Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus, the National Security Service insisted in its statement. |
| Mr. Sefilian served as a military commander in Armenia’s war against Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Although the war ended with a cease-fire in 1994, clashes occur regularly along the disputed border — including the most violent outburst in years, in April. | Mr. Sefilian served as a military commander in Armenia’s war against Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Although the war ended with a cease-fire in 1994, clashes occur regularly along the disputed border — including the most violent outburst in years, in April. |