Death of Armenian Soldier Reported on the Day of His Funeral

Resident of the village of Nigavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, senior officer Hayk Keshishoghlyan died in a military unit deployed in the northeastern direction of the republic on the night of April 3, Artashes Galstyan, Village Head of Nigavan, said in an interview with Armenian Hraparak daily. The RA Investigative Committee reported of the incident on April 7, without mentioning the day of the death. According to preliminary information, Keshishoghlyan, 43, died of a gunshot wound as a result of a fire from the Azerbaijani side, the authorities said. 

When contacted by Epress.am for further clarifications about the incident on Tuesday, April 7, the RA Investigative Committee spokesperson Sona Truzyan asked the reporter to send a written request. Epress.am has not received a response as of 10 AM, April 8.

Meanwhile, Artashes Galstyan revealed the details of the incident to Hraparak: “It was foggy. When it cleared, the adversary opened fire, [Keshishoghlyan] was hit by three bullets. While waiting for help to arrive, he probably tried to crawl to the positions, was unable to, and rolled down into a gorge. They tried for a day to recover his body from the gorge, he had fallen right in front of the positions of the enemy. They only managed to retrieve the body the next day.”

Keshishoghlyan's funeral was held on April 7. His family, as stated by the Village Head, lives in difficult social conditions. The officer left behind three sons: one of them studies at a military institute in Russia; the other serves in the Army in Stepanakert; the third son is a school student.