TORONTO -- A Canadian-Armenian has been killed in the growing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Krisdapor Artin, a Toronto native who moved to Armenia in 2011, was killed while fighting for Armenia, the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) confirmed to CTV News.
Artin had been working in the mining industry and owned a business in Armenia before the conflict began. He lived with his family in Kapan, a town in southeast Armenia close to the battlegrounds.
, the ANCC described Artin as 鈥渁n active member of the Toronto Armenian community, before repatriating with his family.鈥�
鈥淥ur deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,鈥� the post continued. 鈥淢ay his soul Rest In Peace.鈥�
Jason Kung, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said in a statement that the agency is 鈥渁ware of reports of the death of a Canadian citizen in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.鈥�
鈥淐onsular officials are liaising with local authorities to gather additional information,鈥� the statement continued. 鈥淒ue to the provisions of the Privacy Act, no further information can be disclosed.鈥�
Clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh have been escalating since Sept. 27 and have so far killed hundreds in the area.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region lies within the Azerbaijani border, but is populated and governed by ethnic Armenians.
Sevan Hajiartinian, a member of the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto and a friend of Artin鈥檚, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Wednesday that Artin died on Tuesday while volunteering on the front lines of the conflict.
She described Artin as a 鈥渧ery humble, honest, loyal friend.鈥�
鈥淗e volunteered in our community from the moment that he arrived here,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e was a youth group leader. He was a member of the organization. He was a mentor to all of the youth from age six and up and everyone looked up to him.鈥�
鈥淗e taught us the balance between being Canadian, Armenian and our passion for the country we live in now and the importance of our roots.鈥�
Hajiartinian said that Artin had moved to Canada in the 1990s from Lebanon 鈥渢o have a better life with his family鈥� and later moved to Armenia for a temporary job, but found a passion for the country and decided to stay.
鈥�He felt that that is home for him and they built their future there,鈥� she said.
, a news site focusing on topics of interest for the Armenian community in Toronto, Artin was also involved in chinchilla breeding and the fashion industry in Armenia, and provided employment to dozens of people through those ventures.
With files from The Associated Press
