Armenia's Defense Ministry spokesman Artzroun Hovhannisyan says that an Artsakh military helicopter wasn’t armed when it was fired upon and downed this afternoon by Azerbaijani forces.

On his Facebook page Hovhannisyan writes that Azerbaijani claims that the helicopter was armed are ludicrous and that an investigation of the debris will confirm this.

The spokesman also writes that Azerbaijani forces kept firing after the helicopter hit the ground, not allowing Artsakh units to approach to check on the pilots.

Hovhannisyan says that Azerbaijan will pay dearly for such an unprecedented attack.

(Hetq will publish further information on the incident, as well as the plight of the pilots, as we receive them)