19-Year-Old Hakob from Artimet Killed Alongside 6 Comrades in Line of Duty

19-year-old Hakob Balabekyan from the village of Artimet in the Armavir region has been killed as a result of an attack by Azerbaijan in September. In an interview with News.am, Hakob's aunt revealed that he was the only son in the family, with two sisters.

“Hakob was serving in Kapan; on September 13, the day of the attack, he was at his post when the position was blown up. He and six other soldiers at the post were killed,” she recounted.

Hakob's parents are farmers who had just begun to build their home. “Hakob always said that after his service he would come home, renovate his room, and buy furniture. He worked as a hairdresser and wanted to have his own salon. I don’t know, it’s an unbearable pain. I hope my sister’s pain will be the last, so no parent feels such cruel anguish. I grieve for all the fallen,” she added.

It is important to note that on September 13, starting at 00:05, Azerbaijan’s military units began intensive shelling of Armenian positions along the entire border, using artillery and large-caliber firearms, as well as drones. The enemy targeted both military and civilian facilities. According to the Ministry of Defense, from September 14 at 20:00, the firing had almost ceased in all directions, and no significant incidents were reported. As of September 25, no changes in the situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border had been recorded. The latest data indicates that the number of killed and missing soldiers has reached 207, with 20 servicemen taken captive.