Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signed the necessary documents to dismiss Onik Gasparyan, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces. Pashinyan announced this Thursday on Facebook livestream.

"The First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces has been fired already de jure, too, and he has no right to act as such. I have signed the necessary papers to [also] dismiss the Chief of General Staff; that process has been processed. I want to thank everyone for their services rendered," he said.

As reported earlier, the General Staff of the Armed Forces on Thursday issued a statement noting that the army demands the resignation of PM Pashinyan and his government. The statement was signed by the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, his deputies, heads of departments, and commanders of all corps.

After this statement, Nikol Pashinyan made a Facebook post, noting that he considered this statement of the General Staff an attempt at a military coup, and he called on his supporters to Republic Square at the heart of the capital Yerevan.

Numerous political scientists and analysts, however, called the PM's aforesaid announcement an attempt to lead to civil strife and bloodshed.