Arthur is one of the 24 servicemen whose contact was lost: the mayor on the fallen soldier

On November 16, Junior Sergeant Arthur Martirosyan, who was killed during the fighting that erupted after the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attacked in the eastern direction of the Republic of Armenia, was from the forest village of Antaramut in the Lori province. This was reported by News.am news agency.

23-year-old Arthur had gone abroad for work after his conscription service and then returned to work as a contract serviceman. Arthur Martirosyan was a participant in the 44-day war.

"The family lives in poor conditions. He became a contract serviceman to support the family. He lived with his parents and brother, and he had two married sisters; he was the youngest in the family. Arthur was a very choice, agile, intelligent boy, known well in the entire village. I can say only the best things about him," said Arayik Gevorgyan, the mayor of Antaramut village, in an interview with the news agency.

Arthur is one of the 24 servicemen with whom contact was lost during the military operations. The community had hoped that Arthur would be found and return home, but just recently they read their fellow villager's details in the statement issued by the Ministry of Defense.

According to the mayor, Arthur was serving in Syunik and was supposed to return from duty today. The last contact with Arthur's parents was prior to the start of military operations.

"After being wounded in the war, Arthur was taken to the hospital but couldn't find his place there. He wanted to go back to the fighting, but the doctors didn't allow it, so he escaped and went to his battalion, to his friends," Arthur's friend Artavazd told us.

It should be noted that on November 16, around 13:00, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched an attack on Armenian positions in the eastern direction of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The opponent used artillery, armored vehicles, and various calibers of firearms. Under an agreement reached through Russian mediation, the fire was ceased at 18:30, and the situation stabilized relatively.

The Ministry of Defense had initially reported one death, that of contract serviceman Meruzhan Arthur Harutyunyan, born in 1991. The ministry stated that there were 13 captured servicemen and that contact with 24 servicemen was lost, with their fate unknown at that time.

As of today, November 19, the ministry reported that as a result of the fighting triggered by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces' attack in the eastern direction, the Armenian side currently has 6 dead. They are: 1990-born Senior Lieutenant Taron Jivani Sahakyan, contract serviceman 1991-born Junior Sergeant Meruzhan Arthur Harutyunyan, 1990-born Private Gurgen Ashoti Sargsyan, 1998-born Junior Sergeant Arthur Jivani Martirosyan, and 1980-born Private David Helberti Amiryan. The identity of another fallen serviceman is still being clarified.

Intensive efforts continue with the participation of the Russian side for the return of those who have been captured as a result of fighting and the discovery of missing individuals.