YEREVAN, Nov 2 — Armenia said today it had foiled a plot in which five suspects planned to detonate explosives, attack civilians and take over government buildings.

Political tensions are running high in the Caucasus country after Azerbaijan seized the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh territory from pro-Armenian separatists in October.

Armenia’s national security service said it uncovered "preparations for a terror attack... plotted with the aim to hamper the functioning of government organs.”

It identified the suspects by their initials only and made no direct link to the Karabakh conflict, which has spurred deep resentiment in Armenia.

Opposition parties have staged anti-government rallies and demanded Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation after Baku recaptured long-disputed Karabakh in a lightning offensive in September.

Armenian separatist authorities controlled Karabakh for three decades, but surrendered it after less than a day of fighting and agreed to reintegrate with Azerbaijan.

Almost the entire Armenian population of Karabakh — more than 100,000 people — fled to Armenia, sparking a major refugee crisis.

Karabakh was at the centre of two wars between Yerevan and Baku — in 2020 and in the 1990s.

Internationally mediated talks to broker a comprehensive peace treaty between the neighbours have so far failed to produce a breakthrough. — AFP