Syunik Governor Robert Ghukasyan has confirmed that the two teenagers who went missing several days ago did not cross Armenia’s state border.

When asked how this squares with the National Security Service's (NSS) earlier statement that negotiations were underway for their return from Azerbaijan, Ghukasyan told reporters in parliament that the NSS had retracted that information the following day, “which explains the confusion,” according to RFE/RL.

On June 6, the NSS had announced that two minors from Syunik had gotten lost and ended up in Azerbaijani territory. Later that same day, the service reported that the teenagers had been found and were in Armenia. The statement added that all necessary measures were being taken to determine their whereabouts and ensure their safe return.

The NSS later issued another statement, declaring that reports of the two minors from Tegh community being abducted by Azerbaijanis were false.