Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Мелконян, Монте" in Russian language version.
Melkonian carried out terrorist operations in Rome, Athens, and elsewhere, and he helped to plan and train commandos for the “Van Operation” of September 24, 1981, in which four ASALA militants took over the Turkish embassy in Paris.
But, on June 12, shortly before he was due to leave Karabakh to spend some time alone with beloved wife, monte received word that a Soviet T-72 tank had been captured. By now, Monte had become fascinated by tanks and was convinced they were the key to victory in Karabakh. So, whenever word reached him that a tank had been captured, he wanted to personally verify it. On June, he set of with his faithful driver komidas and four other fighters, to the village of Merzuli to check out the Russian tank
As they neared the village, they saw an armored personnel carrier with a turret-mounted canon and several soldiers milling about. Komidas asked the soldiers something in Armenian and by the bewildered look on their face he knew that he had stumbled on the enemy. A wild gunfight broke out: automatic weapons, the canon, hand grenades. Monte fired from his rifle. A canon round smashed into a wall near Melkonian and afoot-long piece of shrapnel tore into his head, killing the hero on the spot. Several other people were killed or wounded in the gunfight but Monte’s body was retrieved by the wounded Komidas and other Armenian fighters and taken to Martuni. The town would later be renamed Monteapert, or Fort Monte.
But, on June 12, shortly before he was due to leave Karabakh to spend some time alone with beloved wife, monte received word that a Soviet T-72 tank had been captured. By now, Monte had become fascinated by tanks and was convinced they were the key to victory in Karabakh. So, whenever word reached him that a tank had been captured, he wanted to personally verify it. On June, he set of with his faithful driver komidas and four other fighters, to the village of Merzuli to check out the Russian tank
As they neared the village, they saw an armored personnel carrier with a turret-mounted canon and several soldiers milling about. Komidas asked the soldiers something in Armenian and by the bewildered look on their face he knew that he had stumbled on the enemy. A wild gunfight broke out: automatic weapons, the canon, hand grenades. Monte fired from his rifle. A canon round smashed into a wall near Melkonian and afoot-long piece of shrapnel tore into his head, killing the hero on the spot. Several other people were killed or wounded in the gunfight but Monte’s body was retrieved by the wounded Komidas and other Armenian fighters and taken to Martuni. The town would later be renamed Monteapert, or Fort Monte.
Melkonian carried out terrorist operations in Rome, Athens, and elsewhere, and he helped to plan and train commandos for the “Van Operation” of September 24, 1981, in which four ASALA militants took over the Turkish embassy in Paris.
