Who Proposed the Dismissal of the Border Troops Commander? Kocharyan Reports

The Commander of the Border Troops of the NSS, Arman Maralchyan, was dismissed based on a proposal from the NSS director to the Prime Minister. This was announced by Andranik Kocharyan, the chairman of the National Assembly's Defense and Security Committee, during a parliamentary briefing.

"I have interacted with him as the committee chairman; he is a high-ranking officer both morally and professionally," Kocharyan stated.

When asked how the dismissal of the Commander of the Border Troops is related to the incidents in the village of Teg, Kocharyan remarked that it may be somewhat connected, but a service investigation should provide the answers.

“It is possible that the dismissal of the commander is not connected to this, and it could be related. In any case, the basis for the dismissal was the NSS director's proposal to the Prime Minister. This is not a subject for debate,” Kocharyan emphasized.

He urged not to link the dismissal solely to the incidents in Teg, noting that it could also be due to shifts in positions. This should aim at fostering coordinated cooperation between the border troops and the defense entities in the future.

It is noteworthy that the President of Armenia has signed a decree to dismiss Arman Maralchyan from his position as Commander of the Border Troops of the National Security Service. Maralchyan's dismissal comes following an incident on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the Teg village area, which resulted in 4 fatalities and 6 injuries on the Armenian side. The Azerbaijani side has also reported casualties.

Arman Maralchyan was appointed as the Commander of the NSS Border Troops in October 2020.