Bloody memories

Khojaly genocide

“The Khojaly genocide with its inconceivable
cruelty and inhuman punitive methods,
was completely targeted against the people
of Azerbaijan and represents a barbarian act
in the history of humankind. At the same time, this genocide was a historical crime against humanity.”

Heydar Aliyev

Over the night from February 25 to 26, 1992 Armenian armed forces implemented the capture of the Khojaly city with support of hard equipment and the personnel of the infantry guards regiment #366 of former Soviet Union.

The mass firing using artillery weapon and hard military equipment which began in the evening of February 25, preceded the assault of the city.

As a result of this the fire began in the city and by five o’clock in the morning the whole city was in fire. The population (about 2500 people) remained in the city. People were forced to leave their houses in the hope to find the way to Aghdam – the district center and the nearest place mainly populated by Azerbaijanis.

But these plans have failed. Armenian armed forces with the military support of the infantry guards regiment destroyed Khojaly city and with particular brutality implemented carnage over the peaceful population. As a result:

613 people were killed, among them;

63 children,
106 women,
70 the elderly.
8 families were killed completely.
25 children lost both parents.
130 children lost one of the parents.

487 people were wounded, including;

76 children
1275 people were hostages
150 people were missing
The damage done to both state and private property estimated 5 billion rubles (according to the prices for 01.04.92)

These figures show the results of the most bloody tragedy of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which began on February, 1988 with illegal demands of ethnic Armenians to unite Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of Azerbaijan SSR with Armenia SSR. The conflict was provoked with direct support of ruling circles of the Armenian SSR, consent and inactivity of central authorities of Soviet Union.

Khojaly – the main target

Khojaly assault by Armenian armed forces was predetermined by strategic location of the city. The city with population of 7000 people is situated 10 kilometers to South-East from Khankendi. Khojaly is situated on the way Aghdam-Shusha, Askeran-Khankendi and has an airport, the only in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Khojaly is the historical place and memorials of ancient history have still remained here. The memorials of Khojaly -Kedabek culture of XIV-VII centuries B.C. are near Khojaly village. The funeral memorials – the stone boxes, barrows and necropolis of the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age, as well as architectural memorials – round crypt (1356-1357) and mausoleum (XIV century) were found here. The various stone, bronze, bone adornment, the ceramics household goods were found during the archeological excavations. The name of the Assyrian king Adadnerari (807-788 cc. B.C.) was written on one of the beads found in Khojaly.

The population ranched and done with the wine-growing, beekeeping and grain farming. There were the textile factories, 2 secondary schools and 2 partial secondary schools in the city.

In connection with the events of last years 54 Turks-Meskhets families – refugees from Fergana (Uzbekistan), as well as Azerbaijanis expatriated from Armenia have taken refuge in this city. Because of that the construction of branches of big industrial enterprises of Azerbaijan, residential buildings and other sites were developed.

Later the Armenian side admitted that one of the first goals of Armenian armed forces was the liquidation of Khojaly base to open the corridor connected Askeran village and Stepanakert across the city and unblocking of the only airport, which was under control of the Azerbaijanis.

Pay attention to the phrase “the liquidation of Khojaly base”. These words, which are also heard today, disclose motives of mass extirpation of children and women, motives of bloody massacre implemented by Armenians.

Town Agdam – Caucasian Hiroshima

Azerbaijani language