Funeral service of the Armenian soldier Karen Shahinyan, 18, killed as a result of the Azerbaijani shelling Friday, took place today. Karen was a citizen of Abovyan city of Armenia’s Kotayk province. He was the youngest child in the family.

The service was attended by Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Defense David Tonoyan, Kotayk province governor Karapet Guloyan, as well as the soldier’s friends and relatives.

“Karen was a brilliant man and a wonderful personality. He was humane and helpful,” Karen’s teacher of physics Sirush Mikayelyan told Armenian News – NEWS.am.

Karen attended school till the 9th form and had worked at a bakery for several years before being recruited. “He used to say: “I’ll go and serve, and than return, work and support my family,” Artak Hovsepyan, one of the soldier’s colleagues, told Armenian News – NEWS.am.

Karen Shahinyan's family is from Armenia's city of Gyumri. They moved to capital city Yerevan 10 years ago. 

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces shelled at one of the northeastern protection areas of the NKR Defense Army unit today at about 5:30 p.m. The fire was opened from Turkish-made TR-107 reactive rocket propelled howitzers. Consequently, NKR Defense Army soldiers Norayr Mikayel Khacatryan (b. 1995), Robert Suren Mkrtchyan (b. 1995), Harut Maxim Hakobyan (b. 1997) and Karen Gevorg Shahinyan (b. 1997) died from shrapnel wounds. Besides, 16 solders were wounded.

Upon the decree of Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan, the killed soldiers were posthumously awarded “For Service in Battle” medal.