TV REPORTS GUNMAN WOUNDS MAYOR OF ARMENIA’S 2ND LARGEST CITY, KILLS BODYGUARDS

AP Worldstream
Published: Apr 02, 2007

Gunmen wounded the mayor of Armenia’s second largest city and killed
his driver and three bodyguards Monday, Armenian state TV reported.

The attack occurred around 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) on the highway between
the capital Yerevan, and Gyumri, a city of 150,000 located about 126
kilometers (80 miles) north of the capital, Yerkir-media TV said.

Vardan Gukasian was hospitalized in serious but stable condition, as
was his deputy. Gukasian’s driver and three bodyguards were killed,
the station reported.

The reports could not be immediately confirmed.

Politics are tense and occasionally violent in Armenia, a small,
impoverished ex-Soviet republic located in the strategic Caucasus
region.

In 1999, gunmen burst into parliament and killed the prime minister,
parliament speaker and six other officials and lawmakers. In 2005, the
mayor of a small town was arrested after he was accused of shooting
and killing the head of the local electric utility. The mayor was
later re-elected despite being jailed.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress