Armenia PM's wife joins military service to 'protect homeland' amid war with Azerbaijan

Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will be defending her country's border at the Nagorno-Karabakh region amid the armed conflict with Azerbaijan. The 42-year-old on October 26 in a Facebook post informed that she along with 12 other women will start military training exercises and in few days they will depart to assist the country's forces in protecting borders with Azerbaijan. "Neither our homeland nor our dignity will be given up to the enemy," Hakobyan wrote on Facebook.  

Read: Armenia, Azerbaijan Report More Fighting Despite Cease-fire

This will be Hakobyan's second military training since the conflict with Azerbaijan broke out later last month. She along with several other women recently received training on how to use arms and ammunition as part of a seven-day combat training. Hakobyan on Tuesday said that after her earlier Facebook post regarding the training she has received many letters from women who want to volunteer. She also shared phone numbers asking them to contact if they want to join the all-women squad in defending the country's borders. 

Read: Armenia PM Accuses Azerbaijan Of Ceasefire Violation

According to Public Radio of Armenia, Ashot Pashinyan, Hakobyan's 20-year-old son is also fighting against Azeri forces in Karabakh after he decided to volunteer earlier this month. 

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to two ceasefires in the past four weeks of the fighting, but both sides have failed to adhere to the agreements and have accused each other of breaking the truce. Both sides are determined to claim victory this time, which is making the international community worried. The United Nations has urged Baku and Yerevan to reach an agreement in order to prevent a major conflict from breaking out in the region.

Read: Armenia, Azerbaijan Accuse Each Other Of Truce Violations

The fight between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been going on for the past month since it had started on September 27 following skirmishes that began in July this year. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been at loggerheads since 1989, however, in 1994 both countries agreed to a Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement. Skirmishes have occurred in the years following the 1994 ceasefire but did not stretch this far. 

Read: Azerbaijan Prez Aliyev Agrees To Ceasefire In Nagorno-Karabakhl If All Conditions Are Met