July 17, 2000 - 18:22 AMT
THE TWO ARMENIAN DESERTERS ,WHO KILLED EIGHT PEOPLE AFTER THE ESCAPE, ARE ARRESTED
17.07.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. Late in the evening on July 15 Artak Alikian and Grigor Madilian - two of the three deserters, who left the military unit on July 13, were arrested. The third deserter- Tsolak Melkonian, was arrested on July 14.
As was reported to MEDIAMAX in the Information department of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, the investigation is in process, the reasons of the desertion, as well as of other severe crimes are being cleared up.
The three servicemen - Tsolak Melkonian, Artak Alikian and Grigor Madilian deserted the posts on July 13, taking firearms with them. After deserting the military unit they stopped a car, shot down the driver and the passenger and escaped by the taken car. On their way the fugitives shot two policemen, three contract-servicemen and a child.