Armenian soldiers killed in barracks fire

Armenia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that a fire in a military barracks in the town of Azat left 15 soldiers dead and three more seriously injured.

In a brief statement, the Ministry of Defense acknowledged the tragedy: "According to preliminary information, 15 servicemen were killed as a result of a fire that broke out in the barracks of an engineer and sniper company of a military unit."

The statement added, "The condition of three servicemen is assessed as serious."

What do we know so far?

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, which started at around 21:30 UTC on Wednesday.

Armenia, home to around three million people, is still recovering from a devastating 2020 war with Azerbaijan that resulted in a major military defeat and political turmoil.

Tensions between the former Soviet rivals over their borders continue to remain high despite the end of large-scale fighting. 

There have been clashes at the border between the two neighboring countries since the truce was negotiated.