By Trend

Reuters news agency has published an article highlighting the way people of Armenian roots who are citizens of other countries come to Armenia to take part in Nagorno Karabakh hostilities, Trend reports.

In an article named “Despite Lebanon's woes, Armenians spring to action for Nagorno-Karabakh” the author writes that when Lebanon’s financial crisis pushed Vartkes to leave for Armenia this summer, he never imagined he would volunteer to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“I wanted to go that night. I feel like I have to do something for the country,” Reuters quotes Vartkes, who asked not to be identified by his last name.

"An Armenian defence ministry official has said many from the diaspora applied to volunteer without giving a precise number. Hundreds from as far afield as Argentina and the United States have rushed back to Armenia for combat training, a local instructor says," the report said.

Karapet Aghajanyan, the combat instructor in Yerevan, who trains local and foreign volunteers, told Reuters around 10 Lebanese-Armenians have received training in his camp. He said they arrived from Beirut after the fighting broke out in late September to go to the frontline, the agency said.

“This month, Anjar commemorated one of their own who was killed in battle, Kevork Hadjian, an opera singer born in the Lebanese town who lived in Armenia. The singer’s 74-year-old mother, Sosse Hadjian, said she had spent days watching TV. But she didn’t know her son was at the front until her brother delivered the news of his death,” the agency wrote.

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian admitted to the fact that Armenians from different countries are taking part in battles in Nagorno-Karabakh on Oct.1.

Sarkissian made the statement while on the air of Al Jazeera TV .

"They are ethnic Armenians and there is nothing wrong with the fact that they are fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, despite them being citizens of different countries. We admit the participation of Armenians from different countries in the hostilities at the frontline," he said.

Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. Currently, Azerbaijan continues the liberation of its territories from Armenian troops.

Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian Armed Forces.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.