The chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Edvard Asryan, explained why the Azerbaijani group "caught in the encirclement" was not liquidated or captured.

Talking to journalists, Asryan said that in order to capture them it was necessary to get close, which would have endangered the lives of Armenian soldiers. "We did not go for that. At the moment, positions have been arranged in the direction of Jermuk to secure the city. I visited this direction twice after September 16, everything is coordinated there, the situation is relatively stable," Asryan reported.

Asked whether the positions are 4.5 km far from the city, Asryan stated that it is the distance from north-eastern outskirts, but the city center is 5-6 km away.

Earlier, Asryan himself reported that the adversary had advanced about 7 km in the direction of Jermuk.