YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The requiem service for the crew members of the helicopter downed during a training flight by Azerbaijani armed forces was offered in Yerevan’s St. Sargis Church in Nor Nork district.

The President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan, MPs, members of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, and other high ranking officials were present at the requiem service. The ceremony was also attended by His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

A requiem service was offered in St. Sargis Church by the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. On November 25, the crew members’ bodies will be taken to the Yerablur Military Pantheon from St. Sargis Church at 14:00 o’clock.

Due to the operation carried out by the special task forces of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the body of one of the members of the helicopter downed by Azerbaijan and remains of the other two pilots, as well as some necessary parts of the helicopter, have been evacuated. As reports “Armenpress”, the News and Propaganda Department of the Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic stated about this.

“Taking into consideration the official statements by the Azerbaijani side and the absolute lack of reasoning, the Armed Forces of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic were forced to carry out a special operation to learn about the fate of the crew members of the helicopter downed by the rival on November 12 on the site and give solution to issues stemming from it. In the result of the realization of the military task, the body of one of the crew members and remains of the two pilots have been evacuated from the site of the incident along with some of the necessary parts of the helicopter. At the course of the special operation, two askyars of the rival have been eliminated. The Defense Army had no casualties.”