Opposition and government MPs again exchanged blows today in the Armenian National Assembly.

The fracas began when ruling Civil Contract MP Hayk Sargsyan accused former defense ministers as “traitors" for taking bribes or doing personal favors to exempt people from military duty.

Former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, who now heads the opposition “Hayastan” (Armenia) faction, shot back that Pashinyan and his government were the traitors and that they destroyed the army.

Sargsyan then used the familiar “ara” (hey) term to address Ohanyan and the former minister then threw a bottle at Sargsyan.

Opposition and government MPs then left their seats and a brawl ensued. Parliamentary security staffers proceeded to separate the MPs.

Security personnel forcibly removed reporters from their designated workspace and tried to prevent them from filming some Civil Contract MPs who had gathered in the outside hall and were cursing the opposition.

Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan ordered a temporary halt in the proceedings and later publicly apologized for the incident.

Video by Saro Baghdasaryan