Armenia: Clashes rage in Yerevan for a fourth night

Heavy clashes broke out in the Erebuni district in Yerevan, Wednesday, where hostages are still being held for the fourth day by gunmen inside a local police station.

The police officer was killed when armed men stormed the police station in the Armenian capital on Sunday morning. Police have surrounded the building and are negotiating with the group, who are thought to have taken several people hostage. Armenia's deputy police chief General Major Vardan Egiazaryan and Yerevan's Deputy Chief of Police Valeri Osipyan are believed to be among the hostages. Two hostages were reportedly freed with seven or eight believed to remain inside.

Local media are reporting that the group, who call themselves the "Daredevils of Sassoun," are demanding the release of jailed opposition leader Jirayr Sefilyan, who was arrested in June on charges of arms trafficking. He allegedly planned to carry out an armed coup against the government. Sefilyan has consistently called on Yerevan to adopt a more hardline approach to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.