'A fight of of life and death': Armenian PM urges army veterans to re-enlist & battle Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

The Armenian prime minister, on Monday, asked ex-soldiers discharged during the last twelve months to take up arms again. Nikol Pashinyan says the fight against bitter rival, and neighbor, Azerbaijan is one “of life and death."

“I want to appeal to our guys discharged [from the Armenian military] over the past year – come to the central military recruitment office and enroll in the army,” Pashinyan said in a video message posted on his Facebook page and quoted by the media. 

He explained that Armenian law doesn't allow for this category of former soldiers to be mobilized, and asked them to come instead as volunteers. Pashinyan added that he is calling veterans to a “battle of life and death” and the “genocide of Armenians” needs to be avoided.

In the next post, the PM said his son has joined the troops.

Armenia announced a nationwide conscription call shortly after hostilities with Azerbaijan broke out over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Baku has also called citizens to arms but proclaimed the mobilization to be partial.

Intense fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh continued into the second week this Monday, with both sides engaging in artillery duels and reciprocal missile strikes. Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of launching strikes from within its territory – an allegation rejected by Yerevan.

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