In April 1975, a civil war broke out in Lebanon. Lebanese Armenians had to defend themselves, to protect the Armenian neighborhoods of Beirut from attacks by various military groups. The leaders of the traditional parties, from the very first day of the outbreak of the war in 1975, were safely hidden. In terms of daily life and self-defense issues, Armenians were defenseless and unarmed.

In such a situation, ASALA members and supporters of the various parties had no choice but to take their own defense into their own hands by carrying out the instructions of the ASALA leadership, managing the fate of the battle on the spot.

5 freedom fighters, including Harutyun Khacheryan, were martyred in the self-defense battles in Lebanon in September 1979.