Minister: 201 bodies of killed soldiers identified after Azerbaijani aggression on September 13

YEREVAN, October 20. /ARKA/. After the Azerbaijani aggression on September 13, the Armenian Health Ministry has identified 201 bodies of the soldiers killed in the clashes with Azerbaijani troops, Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said at a press briefing on Thursday.

"The whole process of examination and identification has already been completed. There are no unidentified bodies," she said.

Earlier, the Armenian government released about $70,000 for DNA analyses of the remains of some soldiers killed in the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 autumn. Some 50 samples of tissues were sent to the Netherlands for DNA-profiling. 

"Answers to the first and second examination have already been received, but there are still remains that could not be identified even in the Netherlands," the minister said today.

On September 13, Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Armenia. Using heavy artillery, multiple rocket launchers and combat UAVs, the Azerbaijani armed forces shelled 36 residential areas and communities, including towns of Goris, Jermuk, Vardenis, Kapan, Geghamasar deep within the sovereign territory of Armenia.

The Azerbaijani attack deliberately targeted civilian population and vital civilian infrastructures. According to official information, 207 Armenian citizens, both military personnel and civilians were killed and went missing, 293 servicemen were wounded, 3 civilians and 20 servicemen were taken captives.

Azerbaijan continues to obstruct the evacuation of bodies of fallen Armenian servicemen, Armenian Human Rights Defender Kristine Grigoryan said at the press briefing.

"The Defense Ministry knows the specific places where there are bodies of fallen Armenian servicemen. At the moment, the Azerbaijani side has not yet given its consent for the Armenian side to evacuate the bodies," she said. -0-