UPDATED: Armenia to send military police peacekeepers to Syria

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS. The peacekeeping brigade of the Armenian Defense Ministry’s Military Police will carry out a peacekeeping mission in Syria soon, the Military Police said in a news release today.

The announcement was made today during an awarding ceremony when officers of the brigade were bestowed with medals.

Military chaplain Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan delivered a mass during the ceremony in the Yerablur military cemetery.

“May the cross always support and protect Armenian officers and soldiers”, he said.

As April 18 is Maundy Thursday, a Washing of the Feet ceremony took place afterwards. The Bishop carried out the rite on a symbolic number of soldiers, 12.

These soldiers will soon carry out a peacekeeping mission in Syria.

14:15 - UPDATED: Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan clarified to ARMENPRESS that the 12 servicemen are being dispatched as a substitution for 12 other security personnel who are currently deployed to Syria as part of the humanitarian de-mining and medical personnel of the Armenian Center For Humanitarian De-Mining and Expertise. The military police peacekeepers are serving as security personnel for the de-miners and medics.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan