The captain asked for help only after completing the mine clearance
Samvel Baghdasrayan, the commander of an Engineering Sapper battalion of Hadrut Division will have foot prosthesis in the coming future. To remind, the captain was injured on May 29 during the mine clearance in the areas adjacent to the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border.
Samvel Baghdasaryan exploded on a mine laid by the Armenian side. During the April war some territories adjacent to the Line of Contact were mined and militaries were instructed to conduct mine clearance right after the arrangement for ceasing the fire entered into force.
“I was injured when was trying to remove the land mines from the area. I forfeited for my self-confidence stepping on a landmine laid by us and got exploded,” Baghdasaryn told Panorama.am, adding he was carrying two mines in his hands, then cried out to fellow servicemen not to approach to avoid injuries.
He asked for a medical aid only after removing the mines, since even in that decisive moment for his life he was mostly caring for the soldiers and their health – another great example of self-devotion occurred during the April war.
The captain underwent a surgery in Jabrayil hospital, and then transferred to Stepanakert and Yerevan. The second surgery is delayed all the time, since doctors are struggling for keeping Samvel’s heel.
One of the fragments from the blast still is in his eye, which is due to be removed right after the foot surgery.
There was a moment during the conversation, when Samvel started: “I thought not to fall behind my wife,” then suddenly stopped, refusing to answer my further questions. Instead, his wife Erna spoke: “I was injured as well back in 1993 in Hadrut. I was 11 years old and was playing with a friend in a field when all of a sudden my childhood dreams evaporated. An artificial limb replaced my leg. It seems I have got strength living through those hard times. Now I value to having a family, my son is 9 years old, daughter – 3. We have lived in peace, yet this tragedy came.”