Armenian Revolutionary Army

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The Armenian Revolutionary Army (ARA) was a paramilitary organization, thought to be renamed from the group "Justice Commandos against Armenian Genocide".[1] ARA attacked at least 7 times resulting in at least 6 fatalities and 8 injuries; its last attack occurred in 1985.[1]

[edit] The Lisbon Five

Five Armenian gunmen [2] (known as "Lisbon Five") attacked the Turkish embassy in Lisbon in 27 July 1983. The first Armenian was killed by security guards at the start of the attack in a suburb of the Portuguese capital, and four others blew themselves up. The wife and the son of Osman Ozturk, the Turkish chargé d'affaires, and a Portuguese policeman also died in the assault, 4 people were injured. Portugal's Interior Minister Eduardo Perella said the government received intelligence information "that Armenian groups might attack Wednesday and beefed up security at diplomatic missions" [3]. The Armenian Revolutionary Army claimed responsibility for attack.

In a message dropped in the mailbox of The Associated Press office in Lisbon, the group said: "We have decided to blow up this building and remain under the collapse. This is not suicide... but rather our sacrifice to the altar of freedom". The group said the attack had been carried out because "Turkey and its allies refused to acknowledge the genocide of Armenians"[4].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
  2. ^ Five Armenians Die in Suicide Raid in Lisbon // "Herald Tribune", Paris, July 28, 1983
  3. ^ Security beefed up before attack // The Ottawa citizen, 28/7/1983
  4. ^ Five Armenians Die in Suicide Raid in Lisbon // "Herald Tribune", Paris, July 28, 1983
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Defunct Armed Armenian Organizations
Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA)  • Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide (JCAG)  • Armenian Revolutionary Army (ARA)
ASALA attacks  • JCAG attacks  • ARA attacks