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July 5 marks the birthday anniversary of Senior Lieutenant Ashot Shahbazyan, an Armenian solder heroically fallen at 2016 four-day April war. The lieutenant would turn 24 years old today.

A monument and fountain have been unveiled on Wednesday in Ashot Shahbazyan’s native village Akhurian inn tribute to the hero’s memory.

Born in 1993 in Akhurian village of Armenia’s Shirak Province, Ashot Shahbazyan studied at the local school, afterwards continuing his studies at Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy. After graduating from the academy, Ashot went to Jabrail to continue his military service. While studying at the Military Academy, he stood out with his high academic progress and active public activity. Ashot had a wide range of interests and practiced sports, namely boxing and football.

Ashot Shahbazyan did not choose the military path accidentally. At the Artsakh war, his father  Karapet Shahbazyan, together with the latter’s cousins, left for Karabakh. His cousins lost their lives at the war, later on Karapet decided to name his two sons after the fallen brothers Ashot and Hunan.

Lieutenant Ashot Shahbazyan fell on April 2, 2016. During Azerbaijan’s sudden attack launched at the Armenian military posts, he did his best to defend the positions and repel the enemy. Ashot sustained an injury in the middle of heated battles, however refused to abandon the positions: he continued the combat and fell as a hero. Ashot Shahbazyan was posthumously warded with “For Service in Battle” medal and "Combat Cross" 2nd degree order of Armenia.

Overnight April 1-2, 19 Artsakh servicemen of that positions and the neighboring posts lost their lives. To note, two of the Artsakh Defense Army commanders – Hovsep Kirakosyan and Ashot Shahbazyan – were donors of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Foundation.