War veterans in Nagorno-Karabakh request Armenian leader should not give ground

Dozens of ex-combatants meeting today near the presidential palace demanded that Armenian leader Serge Sargsian should be firm and not yield to any pressure on the issue of settling the Karabakh conflict.

Arkadi Karapetian, chairman of the ex-combatant organization, one of well-known former commanders, said in addressing his comrades-in-arms: "We have come here with a demand to form a Home Guard, we have come here in order not to allow our territory to be given away. Not a bit of land! The death of our comrades-in-arms should not be in vain!".

According to Arkadi Karapetian, the organization headed by him was created specifically for the purpose of forming a Home Guard and the recent events which resulted in the death of Armenian soldiers became a powerful catalyst in the strive of ex-combatants to organize a Home Guard.

The action was held without incidents.