Remains of Soldiers Missing Since September Battles Repatriated to Their Villages

The remains of 19-year-old conscript soldier Tornik Sargsyan, who had been missing for nearly two years during the September battles of 2022, were laid to rest today in his home village of Hartavan. This was reported to NEWS.am by Zhiyr Avetisyan, the head of the Hartavan village administration in Aragatsotn province.

According to Avetisyan, the remains, which were returned to the family after two years, were interred in the Sargsyan family's cemetery. Also present at the funeral were Tornik's fellow soldiers.

Additionally, the body of 33-year-old contract soldier Shiraz Khachatryan, which had been located in the Kutakani interstitial area for two years, was buried yesterday in his home village of Pokr Masrik.

Earlier, reports confirmed that the National Security Service (NSS) announced on June 21 that Azerbaijan had transferred the remains of two fallen Armenian soldiers to the Armenian side. It was noted that they were presumably victims of the two-day military operations in September 2022. The identities of two soldiers who had been considered missing were established. Until now, 19-year-old conscript Tornik Sargsyan and 33-year-old contract soldier Shiraz Khachatryan were listed as missing.

It is important to recall that on September 13, 2022, starting from 00:05, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces began intense artillery fire along the entire border towards Armenian positions, utilizing large-caliber firearms and drones. The adversary targeted both military and civilian infrastructure.