Bagramyan Battalion
The Bagramyan Battalion was a military organization based in Abkhazia, Georgia and predominantly composed of ethnic Armenians living in Abkhazia that fought together with pro-independence Abkhaz forces during the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993).[1] Named in honour of the Soviet Armenian Marshal Hovhannes Bagramyan, the group's declared purpose was to protect ethnic Armenians living in the region from real or perceived excesses by the Georgian military.[2]
On 10 May 1998, during hostilities leading to Six-Day War in Abkhazia (20-26 May 1998), there was a fire initiated on one of administrative buildings of the power grid in Mziuri. No one was injured in the attack. The Tbilisi-based Prime-News agency reported it was done by the members of the organization.[3] According to the official Georgian reports, the battalion was dispatched by the de facto Abkhaz authorities to the predominantly Georgian-populated Gali district specifically for punitive operations.[4]
The group participated in ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia.[1]
References
- ^ a b Bagramyan Battalion MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
- ^ Abkhazia Armenians: Holding a home in an unstable territory, AGBU, 1 November 2004
- ^ Bagramyan Battalion attacked Utilities target (May 10, 1998, Georgia), Information Source Tbilisi Prime-News
- ^ Vakhtang Kholbaia, Raphiel Gelantia, David Latsuzbaia, Teimuraz Chakhrakia (trans. Nana Japaridze-Chkhoidze; 1999), Labyrinth of Abkhazia, page 34. The Parliament of Georgia, Tbilisi.
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