The photo of Armenian artilleryman Albert Hovhannisyan fighting on the frontlines of Artsakh immediately became an iconic image used by hundreds of media outlets around the world covering the most recent attacks by Azerbaijan on Artsakh.

Hohannisyan died on the battlefield joining the roster of our fallen heroes who gave their lives protecting our homeland and our nation.

Honhannisyan’s father, Artak, broke the news in a heartfelt Facebook post on Thursday, saying his son, Albert, “stepped into immortality.”

“My son, Albert Hovhannisyan, whose photo became widespread all over the world these days, stepped into immortality. My pain and the pain of my family is indescribable,” Artak Hovhannisyan wrote on Facebook.

“My grief is heavy, but I am even more proud to be the father of a patriotic Armenian, a real modern-day Hero. I realize that my Albert is not only my Hero, he is the Hero of all of us, he is the example of the Hero Armenian of present and future generations, who followed the path of his heroic ancestors and became immortal,” Hovhannisyan wrote.

The photo, which was distributed on September 29 by Armenia’s Ministry of Defense, has been published by media outlets around the world.