Yerevan dismissed the head of the Counterintelligence Department of the National Security Service of Armenia, Maj. Gen. Hovhannes Karumyan, after suffering heavy defeat amid clashes with Azerbaijan over the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently said that the Azerbaijani army has liberated the city center, as well as certain villages in Qubadli, Zengilan and Jabrayil.
Armenia has replaced a number of commanders and top officials since the beginning of the conflict.
Since new clashes erupted between the two countries on Sept. 27, Armenia has continued its attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces.
On Monday, Commander of the Border Forces Vaginak Sarkissian was sacked at the suggestion of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
The chief of Armenian intelligence services, Argishti Kyaramyan, was also removed from duty on Oct. 8 amid heavy losses in the fight against the Azerbaijani military.
In the armed conflict – which has been going on for almost a month – the entire territory along the Azerbaijan-Iran border that was held by Yerevan for almost 30 years has been liberated by Azerbaijani forces.
Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.
Multiple U.N. resolutions, as well as international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the occupying forces.
About 20% of Azerbaijan's territory has remained under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.
World powers, including Russia, France and the U.S., have urged a new cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense and demanded the withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces.
