[1][9] On the night of 1–2 April 2016 along the northeastern part of the NKR-Azerbaijan contact line, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces carried out large-scale attacks against the Armenian side.

Under the leadership of captain Armenak Urfanyan, a smaller number of Armenian border soldiers started to provide heavy resistance.

After two failed attempts of penetration and a loss of a tank, Azerbaijani forces withdrew to their initial positions and resumed the artillery bombardments on the contact line.

After the penetration of Azerbaijani forces inside the line, he brought his wounded comrade machine-gunner Andranik Zohrabyan into the trench cell, which was located at a distance of 30 meters (98 feet).

[9] After Andranik Zohrabyan bled to death,[1] Abajyan continued to fight alone from the cell against a large number of enemy forces.

[14] Abajyan was posthumously awarded the highest Honorary Title "Hero of Artsakh" and the Order of the "Golden Eagle",[1][4] "for exclusive bravery and courage shown during the defense of the NKR state border in the course of the large-scale military operations from 2 to 5 April".