Bodies of 18 Soldiers Handed Over to Armenian Side

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has facilitated on April 10 the handover, between the sides, of the bodies of those killed in action following the recent escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; 18 bodies of deceased soldiers were handed over to the Armenian side, while one serviceman still remains unaccounted for, military authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh said. 

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, an official statement issued by the ICRC Sunday reads.

“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."