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The Artsakh Defense Ministry on Friday refuted reports about the alleged capture of 15 Armenian servicemen by the Azerbaijani forces.

Referring to materials circulating on the Internet, the ministry said in a statement that they “have no real basis and are completely imaginary, aimed at tarnishing the image of the structure performing its tasks in these difficult post-war conditions.”

“In particular, various social media users have been spreading information about the alleged capture of 15 Armenian soldiers, some episodes of the 44-day war, with the name of Colonel Gor Ishkhanyan also being speculated in connection with changes in military positions,” the ministry said.

“Taking into account the susceptibility of people to any news concerning the army, we reaffirm that no Defense Army serviceman was taken prisoner today or during the previous days. During the war, the military unit under the command of Colonel Gor Ishkhanyan performed the set tasks exclusively on the basis of orders by the superior command, did not surrender a single position to the enemy, while the withdrawal of the troops from some positions (including from areas where there were command posts and fortifications) after the war was due to the need to fulfill the provisions of the tripartite statement,” the statement read.

The Defense Ministry urges people to refrain from spreading fake news, noting that it does not contribute at all to strengthening the defense capacity of the homeland.