RUSSIAN SOLDIERS KILL ARMENIAN CIVILIANS.

At least two Armenian civilians were killed and seven others wounded during a shootout yesterday among Russian border troops in the Armenian town of Gyumri. The incident occurred when an ad-hoc posse of Russian soldiers was sent out to apprehend two Russian conscript soldiers who had deserted with their weapons and ammunition. The posse and the deserters battled it out within the town limits, catching Armenian civilian residents in the crossfire. Russia’s border troops and Armenia’s Internal Affairs and State Security Ministry have begun parallel investigations (Itar-Tass, April 14). Gyumri, which lies in northwestern Armenia near the Turkish border, is the site of Russian army, air defense and border troops installations. The incident casts a pall over the visit of Russia’s air force commander, Colonel-General Anatoly Kornukov, who recently arrived in Armenia to supervise the first regular joint air patrols of Russian and Armenian interceptor squadrons.

The Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. It is researched and written under the direction of senior analysts Jonas Bernstein, Vladimir Socor, Stephen Foye, and analysts Ilya Malyakin, Oleg Varfolomeyev and Ilias Bogatyrev. If you have any questions regarding the content of the Monitor, please contact the foundation. If you would like information on subscribing to the Monitor, or have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact us by e-mail at pubs@jamestown.org, by fax at 301-562-8021, or by postal mail at The Jamestown Foundation, 4516 43rd Street NW, Washington DC 20016. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of the Monitor is strictly prohibited by law. Copyright (c) 1983-2002 The Jamestown Foundation Site Maintenance by Johnny Flash Productions