On September 27, 2020, the 44-day war began. From the early morning hours, the entire territory of Artsakh came under heavy bombardment and artillery fire. Many Armenians rose to defend the homeland, standing shoulder to shoulder with soldiers and officers to prevent enemy forces from entering the country.
On that same day, police officers also reported to their workplaces under alarm. The first police units were formed to fight alongside the regular army and volunteer forces on the frontlines. Their training concluded on October 3, and that very day, the officers departed for Artsakh.
But on October 4, during a consultation meeting, an enemy missile exploded in the hall of Shushi’s House of Culture. Police officers from the Tavush, Lori, and Shirak regional departments were killed. They became the first police casualties of the 44-day Artsakh war.
The fallen officers from Tavush Regional Department were:
Tatul Otaryan, Vahe Ghazaryan, Vazgen Grigoryan, Artush Zohrabyan, Lentush Gyozalyan, Seryozha Virabyan, Suren Khachatryan, and Karen Badoyan.
They consciously chose the path of sacrifice and became immortal.
Let us remember them — today, tomorrow, always.
