YEREVAN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- An armed opposition group seized a police station and held seven police officers hostage on Sunday morning in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan to back their political demand, the country's National Security Service said.
The armed group was demanding the release of Jirair Sefilyan, an opposition leader who was arrested in June for allegedly organizing a criminal group, local media reported.
The armed group declared through media and social networks that they had launched an "uprising," and demanded the resignation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. However, the security service refuted them as "false rumors," saying the Armenian government was working in a normal state.
Negotiations are currently underway with the armed group in order to resolve the situation in a peaceful manner, the security service said.
