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September 26 marks the birthday of Armenian soldier Norik Sargsyan, who fell heroically during the 2016 April War unleashed against Artsakh by Azerbaijan. The hero would have turned 24 today.

Sargsyan (b. 1996) was from the village of Yeranos in Gegharkunik Province. He was the third of the six children of his family. His father, Zaven Sargsyan participated in the Artsakh Liberation struggle.

The hero’s relatives and friends described him as a humble and kind person. In one of the interviews, Norik’s father said during the first week of his son's service, one of the commanders called and thanked him for bringing up such a son.

Norik served near Jrakan (Jebrail) and heroically fell on the night of April 2. His body was received by the family on April 12, with sings of repeated shots in the chest, which were apparently made after Norik was already dead. He was among the 18 missing soldiers in the four-day war whose bodies were returned to the Armenian side weeks later.

Norik was posthumously awarded with the Medal of Courage of Armenia and For Service in Battle Medal of Artsakh.

The school in the hero’s native village has a memorial corner dedicated to him, with one of the school classrooms named after him.