On October 4, representatives of state and local self-government bodies, along with police officers, laid flowers at the memorial dedicated to the police officers from Tavush who sacrificed their lives during the 44-day war.
The 44-day war began on September 27, 2020. From the early morning hours, the entire territory of Artsakh came under heavy bombardment and artillery fire. Many Armenians took up the defense of their homeland, standing shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers and officers of the Armenian army to prevent the enemy forces from advancing into the country.
On September 27, police officers also rushed to their workplaces in a state of emergency. The first police units were formed to fight alongside the regular army and volunteer forces on the frontlines. Their training exercises ended on October 3, and on the same day, the officers departed for Artsakh.
On October 4, during a consultation, an enemy missile exploded in the auditorium of the Shushi Cultural Center, killing officers from the Tavush, Lori, and Shirak regional police departments. They became the first police casualties of the 44-day war.
Among the fallen heroes of the Tavush Regional Police Department were
Tatul Otaryan, Vahe Ghazaryan, Vazgen Grigoryan, Artush Zohrabyan, Lentush Gyozalyan, Seryozha Virabyan, Suren Khachatryan, and Karen Badoyan.
They chose a conscious path of sacrifice and achieved immortality through their heroism.
Let us remember them — today, tomorrow, and always.
