On 2 April, President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan signed decrees on posthumously awarding senior lieutenants Narek Varuzhan Hovhannisyan and Tovmas Seyran Tovmasyan the highest title of “Hero of Artsakh”.

According to the decrees, for the exceptional services rendered to the Artsakh Republic in the defense and security of the Homeland, for the courage and personal bravery shown, the Commander of the 3rd Rifle Platoon of the NKR Defense Army, Senior Lieutenant Narek Hovhannisyan and the Commander of the sniper platoon of the N military unit, Senior Lieutenant Tovmas Tovmasyan were posthumously awarded the highest title of “Hero of Artsakh”, being awarded the Order “Golden Eagle”.

On 27 September, 2020, during the large-scale military operations unleashed by Azerbaijan against the Artsakh Republic, Narek Hovhannisyan and Tovmas Tovmasyan took an active part in defending the combat positions of the state border of the Artsakh Republic.

As part of a special offensive group set up during the war, they waged defensive battles and carried out combat operations, first in the seventh defensive zone and then in a number of other directions, including the villages of Sghnakh, Karin Tak and Shushi.

Narek Hovhannisyan and Tovmas Tovmasyan brilliantly fulfilled their combat tasks, fighting to the last second of their lives against the forces of the enemy, which exceeded many times, never leaving their entrusted positions.

Narek Hovhannisyan was born in 1992, and Tovmas Tovmasyan in 1983. Both died heroically on 7 November, 2020 in the Karin Tak-Shushi section.