Chief of Armenian intelligence services, Argishti Kyaramyan, was removed from duty on Thursday amid heavy losses in the fight against the Azerbaijani military.

Armenia's President Armen Sarkissian dismissed Kyaramyan from his post according to a decree on the Armenian presidential website.

Kyaramyan's dismissal came at the suggestion of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, it said.

The decree gave no reason for the dismissal but mentioned Kyaramyan was only appointed to the position in June.

The move comes at a time of conflict for the country in which they are suffering heavy losses following Armenia's military clashes with Azerbaijan beginning Sept. 27.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27 but international calls for a halt to fighting have gone unanswered. Armenia has continued its attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces.

The Minsk Group was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict but to no avail. A cease-fire, however, was agreed upon in 1994.

Many world powers have urged for a cease-fire and initiating dialogue. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has said Turkey must be involved in the process to resolve the decadeslong conflict.