As sides exchange those killed in recent escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, Armenian side receives 18 bodies

On April 10, the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in accordance with the arrangement reached between the NKR and Azerbaijan through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, carried out the exchange of bodies of the deceased near Bash-Karvend settlement, according to the NKR Foreign Ministry press-office.
David Babayan, Spokesperson for the NKR President, has confirmed the information saying that 18 bodies of those who were earlier considered as missing were transferred to the Armenian side.  The ICRC press-office has also made a statement on the issue.

"The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has today facilitated the handover, between the sides, of the bodies of those killed in action following the recent escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

In two previous operations supported by the ICRC, on 8 and 9 April, bodies were retrieved by the sides of the conflict from the battlefield along the line of contact. These operations took place following an agreement between the sides and in coordination with the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and the personal representative of the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) chairman-in-office.

"Our priority is to help the families of those missing in action who still do not know the fate of their loved ones," said Patrick Vial, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.  "It was also important for the sides to have the bodies returned and so provide answers for the families."

The ICRC has been present in the region since 1992 in relation to the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict. As the conflict escalated on 2 April, the ICRC offered its services to respond to the humanitarian needs and to act as a neutral intermediary between the sides.

According to the NKR Defense Army, the bodies of junior sergeant of the NKR Defense Army Robert A.  Abajyan (born in 1996) and private Andranik A. Zohrabyan (born in 1996) were found and transferred to their families. On April 10, the Azerbaijani side transferred the head of the 20-year Kyaram Sloyan, the soldier of the NKR Defense, who was decapitated by the Azerbaijani forces.