One Fatality and Two Missing from Debed: Community Leader Provides Details

On November 16, a clash between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces resulted in one death, and two individuals are reported missing from the Debed community in Lori Province. Ashot Ghazaryan, the head of the Debed community, shared this information in an interview with 24News.

“We have one casualty, David Amiryan, whose burial took place three days ago, and two people are missing: Karlen Stepanyan and Harutyun Sargsyan,” the community leader stated.

Regarding the missing individuals, Ghazaryan noted that Azerbaijan has not yet confirmed whether they are there and captured. “We have identified one person from a video; we have not seen any footage of the other,” he added.

Families of the missing individuals have reached out to both the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia and the Ministry of Defense. “Karlen Stepanyan's sister has also contacted the European Union's Commission, and both the Red Cross and the Ministry of Defense have been approached. Harutyun’s parents and wife have reached out to the Red Cross and the Ministry of Defense. I am also in daily contact with the families and the unit's command, and they will keep in touch with us in case of any updates. We are trying to share any news related to the two, analyze it, and understand the situation. There is no new information so far,” Ghazaryan explained.

As for David Amiryan, Ghazaryan mentioned that he died from injuries sustained during the clashes. “After the clashes, a video surfaced that showed him injured in the head and legs, being transported on a stretcher by soldiers in Azerbaijani uniforms.”

Zara Amatuni, head of communication programs for the Red Cross in Armenia, told 24News that Azerbaijan has yet to confirm the potential captives from the clashes in the Syunik direction, and there are no updates at this time. “We continue to work in this area, but I cannot provide any news or confirmation at this moment. We are in ongoing contact with relatives, and they approach us for updates,” Amatuni concluded.

Hasmik Samvelyan, spokesperson for Armenia’s representation at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), also spoke to 24News, stating that there has been no response from the ECHR regarding the Armenian side’s application concerning Armenian prisoners. “I cannot say anything new because we have not yet received a response from the ECHR,” she noted. Samvelyan added that Azerbaijan has not confirmed the situation of the Armenian serviceman’s captivity. “As of yesterday, Azerbaijan has not provided any information to the Red Cross either,” she concluded.

It is worth recalling that on November 16, units of the Azerbaijani armed forces attacked Armenian positions located in the eastern border zone of Armenia (particularly toward the Sisian community in the Syunik Province). According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense on November 17, the Armenian side has one fatality and 13 captured servicemen, while “contact has been lost with another 24 servicemen during the military operations, and their fate is currently unknown.”