User:Khojaly

Khojaly Tragedy

On 25-26 of February 1992 Armenian Army captured Azeri town of Khojaly in northern Karabagh. Over 800 civilians were butchered in cold blood. Khojaly is a settlement of Azerbaijan situated in the strategic point on the road Agdam-Shusha, Khankendi(Stepanakert)- Askeran near the only airport in Karabakh. Its population is more then 7 thousand people.

Late on February 25 the city was under the intensive fire from the town Khankendi and Askeran. The airport and neighboring houses was destroyed. More then 150 people defending the airport were killed by sporadic artillery shelling of regiment No 366. The next day, on February 26 the fire shooting grew heavier and more fierce. After powerful artillery shelling Armenian bandits launched a massive attack. Armoured vehicles of Soviet Army regiment No 366 were in the first row of the attackers. They were followed by Armenian armed bandit units. The Armenian armed men backed by armoured vehicles killed the defenders of the districts and houses. The most valuable property and personal possessions were loaded onto the trucks and taken away towards the town of Khankendi.

Occupation of Khojaly was followed with unprecedented brutalities against the civilian population. In a few hours the aggressors killed 613 innocent and unarmed people. Among them were 106 women, 83 children. 56 people were killed with special brutality. 8 families were totally exterminated. 25 children were totally, and 130 children were partly orphaned. 476 people became disabled persons (of them 76 were minors). 1275 people were taken into hostage and even though afterwards most of the hostages were released from captivity, the fates of 150 of them are still unknown. The event had sparked the exodus of Azerbaijanis from their historic lands. Ten years on and the world is still oblivious to the suffering caused by the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan Republic. As the result of ethnic cleansing in Karabagh, and other territories occupied by Armenians, some 1,000,000 people have been expelled from their homes and forced to live in tent-camps and railway carriages…

One of first persons who shed a light on Khojaly tragedy in all over the worlds was Mr. T.Goltz, American independent journalist. We invite you to read on Khojaly tragedy from his book. Do not read that awful story from a part of Azerbaijani or Armenian. Let’s have an impartial American journalist as judge between us.

EYEWITNESSES

Daud Kheyriyan, “For the sake of Cross…”, page 24, published by “Ash-Sharg” (East) agency in Beirut:

“… Sometimes we happened to march on dead bodies. In order to cross a swamp near Dashbulag, we have paved a road composed of dead bodies. I refused to march on dead bodies. Then colonel Oganyan ordered me not to scare. It is one of military laws. I have pressed my one foot onto the breast of a wounded girl aged 9 or 10 years and marched…

My legs, my photo camera were in blood…”

Daud Kheyriyan, “For the sake of Cross…”, page 62 and 63:

“… the Armenian group “Gaflan” (dealing with burning of dead bodies) have collected 100 dead bodies of Turks (Azerbaijani) and burned them in a place located one kilometer from Khojaly to the West on March 2… I saw girl aged 10 and wounded in hands and in head lying in last truck. Her face was already of a blue color. But she was still alive despite of hunger, coldness and wounds. She had a little breath. I cannot forget her eyes striving with death… Suddenly a soldier called Tigranyan took that body and thrown it on other dead bodies… Then they have burned dead bodies. It seemed to me that someone was crying in fire between dead bodies… After all I could not go further. But I wanted to see Shusha… I returned. And they continued their battles for the sake of Cross….”

KHATIRA TELMAN ORUJOVA, 8 years old…

Scars remained forever on a soul of this little 8 years old girl will grind a rock… She recalls that awful night…

We were asleep. Suddenly we heard a strange boom… In that moment, we observed neighboring houses torched… We ran down to tunnels.

How many persons were you?

My dad, mom and four children. My aunt Sevil was with us. Two neighbors and their two children… We spent four hours in tunnel.

Where did you get that you have remained there for four hours?

Our neighbor said that we are here for four hours. Then, a man named Shaig came up and said that other side of neighborhood in fire, get away to forest and we ran into there. My little sister named Khayala was in ma’s hands and other sister was carrying by my pa.

The night has fallen in forest. Dad said put your watch on six. We were stopped in Nakhichevanik. Guides has gone ahead to ask a route, but they did not get an answer. We remained in deep forest. When sun was rising they shoot my mother. Then, the bullets reached my aunt. She was seventeen years old. Her name was Sevil. My mother Irada was twenty six years old. I don’t know the age of my father. His name is Telman Orujov…

When Armenians shoot me, my mother was close to me. Her wound didn’t let us to run away. I was lying next to my mother. We lost our dad in forest. Then, suddenly I felt carried by a militia man to Agdam.

Khatira’s mother is not with her now to correct her saying. She asked me about her mother… She sent me I replied. She is in hospital of Agdam. She was so thoughtful when asking the surname of her mother…

“Irada Orujova” - came the reply. (I found her surname after she told her story in forest.) She shaked her head…

No. My mother holds her maiden surname. Then, tell me her hair, are they soft or short? I did not know what to reply…

If I would reply I could convince her. At least, I could to see her quiet while medical treatment… I was so embarrassed… That was the most awful tragedy… Why I couldn’t tell her mother’s hair or surname…?

JEAN-IVE-YUNET, journalist (France)

...We happened to be the witnesses of Khojaly massacre, we saw the dead bodies of hundreds of civilians- women, children, old-age people and defenders of Khojaly. We managed to fly by helicopter, we were taking photographs of every­thing we saw around Khojaly at a height of a bird's flight. However Armenians started shooting our helicop­ter and we couldn't manage to finish our job. That was a terrible scene. I heard a lot about wars, about cruelty of German fascists, but Arme­nians went beyond them, killing 5 or 6 year-old child­ren, innocent people. We saw a lot of injured people in hospitals; carriages, even in kindergarten and school buildings.

V. Belykh “Izvestia” newspaper reporter

... The dead-bodies ex­changed for the alive host­ages are occasionally brought to Agdara. You won't see it even in a nightmare: pierced out eyes, cut off ears, scalped heads, cut off heads. A number of corpses were dragged by ropes after the armed personnel earners. There was no limit to hu­miliation…

SARIYA TALYBOVA, the resident of Khojaly.

...They brought us to the Arme­nian cemetery. It is hard for me to describe what happened here. Four young Turks-meskhets (they fled from Uzbekistan and took shelter in Azerbaijan- Editor's Commentary) were shot dead on the grave of an Armenian armed man to sacrifice for him. Then they cut off the dead men's heads. Later the soldiers and Armenian bandits started killing and torturing the children in front of their parents.

Then the truck arrived and it threw the corpses into the ravine. But they didn't satisfy their appetites yet, these predators with human appearance brought two Azerbaijanis wear­ing national army uniform and pierced their eyes with screwdrivers...

'''Mushfig ALIMAMEDOV, the resident of Khojaly. Escaping from the town he was injured and had been left to lie on the snow for 2 days:'''

.... We had guns: machine-guns, rifles, shotguns. We didn't have any ammunition or food. We were exhausted by a long-term blockade. On February 25 Arme­nians started shooting at mid­night, armed forces and vehicles launched the attack. First they captured the airport and burnt it down. They didn't spare anyone, either old-age people and women or children. Many people were burned alive in their homes, espe­cially near the airport. An awful smell of burned meet haunts me even now...

Most of town-defenders were killed in action. The survivors were trying to escape in the woods on the way to the village of Shelli to break through to Agdam. They were ambushed near the Armenian village of Nakhichevanik on the way to Agdam.

Many people were killed in the ambush near the village. The di­rector of the airport Alif Hadjiyev was killed here. He was there to rescue women. He was the one to have organized the efficient work of'the airport. Armenians had al­ready promised the award for his - life before.

MINESH ALIYEVA, 50, the resident of Khojaly, with a bullet wound in the arm.

...We wandered along the woods falling through the deep snow. When we were crossing the road a bullet lodged in my arm. I fell down and couldn't get up.

A very intensive shooting started from the wood and shel­ters. Alif grabbed me and started pulling to the rear of the road. Then he rushed towards the bushes to hide and-.started retaliat­ing shooting at Armenian armed men. Shooting from the woods ceased for some time. Alif started shouting at the women lying on the other side of the road and ordered them to cross the road them to cross the road as soon as possible. He used to shoot sporadi­cally and every time he did the Ar­menians stopped shooting. About 20 women managed to run across the road. When Alif started to change the-cartridge drum Armenians shot in retaliation. At this moment he was shot through the forehead. It was an awful sight...

ELMAN MAMEDOV, head of the executive power:

...The storming of the town started with artillery shelling that had been going on for 2 hours. Arme­nian armed men fired from tanks, armed personnel carriers, using shells of Alazan type. We were blocked from three sides. The only break out line was Askeran gap. When Arme­nian infantry soldiers launched the attack everything in Khojaly had been destroyed. Most of its residents had been shot dead. We defended the town down in trenches till 2 a.m. We failed to resist any more, the defen­ders and civilians started retreating. Having crossed the ice-cold river we were moving towards Keteen Mountain. A lot of people died on the way in the woods where they were frozen to death. We were walking until 7 a.m. when we came out of the woods near Armenian village of Nakhichevanik. We were trapped in a gorge, where Armenians armed with ma­chine-guns and submachine guns were waiting for us in armed person­nel carriers. That's when the real slaughter began. Armenians just shot and shot innocent defenceless people. Many children and women were shot dead here. Some people were fleeing towards the village of Gulably where about 200 people were taken hostage. We helped the survivors and some of the residents of the town managed to get to Agdam. Seven of my friends with me failed to get out of the am­bush, it was too late, but we got lucky; we found the cover from fire. We were hiding there from 9 a.m. till 8 p.m. And only in the evening when -it started snowing we managed to get out of.it and reach Agdam early in the morning of February 27.

CHINGHIZ MUSTAPHAYEV, Azerbaijan Television reporter:

… Dozens and dozens of shot dead people, children aged from 2 to 15, women, old age people. The location of- the corpses proves thaf it was a cold-blooded slaughter, there were no signs of re­sistance or attempts to escape.

Some civilians were-shot separ­ately, the others were killed in groups, or families. Some corpses have several wounds but every corpse has at least one wound in the head. It means that the wounded were fin­ished off afterwards.

The camera witnessed several children with their ears cut off. The skin from the left part of the old woman's face was missing. Men were scalped. There were corpses with the signs of pillage.

First time we arrived at the scene of massacre by two war helicopters on February 28. Up from the helicopter we saw the mountainside of about 500 metres long filled with corpses. The pilots were scared of landing be­cause the area was controlled by Ar­menian bandits. However when we managed to land and stepped onto the land the shooting started. The Internal Ministry men were to load the corpses and take them to the relatives of the dead. They managed to load only 4 corpses. We were all shocked. Two men after seeing so many dead and mutilated corpses fainted. Many people got sick..

The same thing- happened on March 2, when we flew there with foreign journalists. Many dead-bodies were even more mutilated than be­fore. They had been scoffed at for several days...

SANUBAR ALEKPEROVA, the resident of Khojaly

... Hasanabad, Mehdikend, Boz-dagy - these are the places they were shooting from. The land shud­dered at the sound of armoured in­fantry vehicles smashing into Khojaly. At first women and children were told to hide in the basements.

Then Elman Mamedov, head of the executive power came and said that we had to escape, otherwise we would be exterminated. Alif Hadjiyev, director of the airport organized a breakthrough through Armenian lines to lead the civilians to Agdam. We were trapped in an ambush near the village of Nakhichevanik. I_will never forget, what I saw here: there were -mountainsides tilled with corpses. My mother was shot dead. My daughters Hidjran and Sevindj were injured. At the same moment the bullet lodged on me. Young women and children perished from the wounds on the snow.

We had radio station with us. We cried, we tried to report what was happening, we begged for help, but nobody helped us.

DJAMIL MAMEDOV, the resident of Khojaly.

Tanks and armed personnel carriers destroyed the houses, smashed f down the'people.

Russian soldiers were followed by Armenian bandits. I took my 5-year-old grandson and 14.000 rou­bles and ran towards the woods. I took off my clothes and wrapped the child up in them so that he wouldn't die of cold. But it wouldn't help. We had to hide inside the snow with the child.

In the morning I realized that the child wouldn't stand the cold any more and I started walking towards the nearest Armenian village of Nakhichevanik where we were trapped by Armenian armed men. I begged them to take my money for the sake of the child and let us pass to Agdam. They cursed and beat me in response and brought me to their commander. He ordered to keep us locked up in the cattle-shed. There had already been Azerbaijani women and children. They kept us in the cattle-shed for 4 days without any food or water. But for one kind family that used to stealthily bring us some bread and water at night we could have died, we wouldn’t have been able to stand all these tortures. But there is no limit to anger. When four days later I was brought to Askeran with my grandson the events I saw lure were so awful that cattle-shed in Nakhichevanik seemed paradise to me.

Foreign mercenaries (I know Ar­menian and I can tell local Armenian people from foreign ones) pulled out my toenails. Negroes who were among Armenians were jumping high kicking me into the face. After these tortures I was exchanged for some Armenian. However they took away my grandson. I know nothing about the fate of my wife and my daughter.

YURI YAKHOVITCH, the private of infantry regiment no 366.

...They persuaded that we were Christians and we had to fight against Moslems. They kept us in awful subhuman conditions, we couldn't bear being there and we had desert the regiment and escape to Khojaly…

Leonid Kravets, officer, major.

On February 26 I was taking the wounded out of Stepanakert by helicopter and returning through Askeran gap. Some bright spots downwards took my eye. We started to descend and my co-pilot cried: Look! There are women and children over there. I saw about two hundred corpses scattered down- the hillside. Armed men were walking among them. Then we flew there trying to pick up corpses. Militia captain, I can't remember his name, was with us. He found his 4-year-old son with crashed skull and he went out of his mind. The other child that we had managed to pick up before they started shooting had his head cut off. I saw muttlated bodies of women, children, old -age people every­where…

Thomas Goltz (independent journalist) - Khojaly

ARMENIAN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

Scientific researches proves that being part of international terrorism, Armenian terrorism has more than 100 years history. Aiming at to create “Great Armenia”, Armenian radical organizations - “Armenakan” founded in 1885, parties like “Hnchak” and “Dashnaksutyun” for the realization of this plan identified political terror as the main tool in their programs.

Armenian terrorist organizations:

“Armenakan” party: Founded in 1885. Committed terror acts and military attacks in Wan, Mush, Bitlis, Trabzon provinces of Turkey, “Armenakan” was cooperating with Armenians residing in Russia and Iran.

“Hnchak” party: Founded in Geneva in 1887. Main goal of the “Hinchak” is to establish “Great Armenia” by unification of the Anadolu part of Turkey, and territories that they call “Russian Armenia” and “Iranian Armenia”. The fourth article of the party’s program identifies: “In order to accomplish mission, it have to be selected way of creation of campaign, propaganda, terrorist and destructive organization”.

“Dashnaksutyun”– armenian federative revolutionary party: Founded in Tbilisi in 1890. Main goal of the “Dashnaksutyun” is to establish “Great Armenia” in Daghlig Garabagh and Nakhchivan territories of Azerbaijan and in Anadolu part of Turkey. “Dashnaksutyun” took decision to make attempts upon the Turks life in its first Session in Tbilisi in 1892. Namely after this session “Dashnaksutyun” ordered “To kill Turk, Kurd anywhere, in any situation, kill traitors of Armenians, take revenge!” There are several terrorist groups that were established by the “Dashnaksutyun”: “Avengers of the Armenian genocide”, founded in 1973, murdered Turkish diplomats in Austria, Denmark and Portugal during 1980-1982 years; Secret terrorist group – DRO and its branches: DRO-8, DRO-88, DRO-888, DRO-8888; Dashnaks presently continue their activity in this direction.

“Armenian secret liberation army” (ASOA): Founded in Beirut in 1975. Headquarters of ASOA is situated in Damask. ASOA has more that thousand members trained in Palestinian bases. During first six years of its activity as a result of committed terror acts in different states of the world, 19 Turkish diplomats were murdered.

“Gegaron”: Founded in April, 2001 by “ASALA”. The aim of this organization was to commit terror acts against political leaders, diplomats and businessmen of Turkish origin in the South Caucasus and Middle Asia.

“Armenian liberation movement” (AOD): Founded in France, in 1991. AOD committed its terror activiti in close cooperation with “ASALA”.

“Armenian liberation front”: Founded in 1979 and was affiliated with ASALA. Prepared terror acts against Turkey and Azerbaijan.

“Orly group”: Founded by the group of Armenian youths lived in France in 1981. Since 1987, it was committed more than 10 terror acts in different airports throughout the world by this organization.

“Armenian genocide justice commandos”: Founded in the Party Congress of Dashnaksutyun in Wien in 1972. The aim of the organization was to combine youth Lebanon citizens with Armenian origin within military groups and to commit terror acts against Turks and Azerbaijanis.

“Armenian unity”: Founded in Moscow in 1988. The organization was in close contact with ASALA and provided forged documents for terrorists for their activity in the territory of USSR. “Armenian unity” participated in transfer of weapons and ammunition, as well as mercenaries to the Karabakh.

“Youth Armenians Union”: Involved in a kidnapping of diplomats, this organization was founded in France in 1990.

“The group of 9 June”: Founded in Switzerland in 1991, aimed at discharge of Armenian terrorist prisoners.

“Switzerland group”: Functioned in several countries of Europe, this organization took responsibility for the committing 4 terror acts in France, Italy and Greece.

“Democratic front”: Functioned in the USA, Canada and Western Europe. The main aim of this organization is to separate Turkish state.

“Squadron of suicides”: Founded in Paris in 1981. In the same year this terrorist organization participated in committing terror act against consulate general of Turkey. As a result of this terror act 4 members, including former head of this organization Yan Kashkayan were sentenced to imprisonment.

“Apostol”: Founded by the Armenian Defense Community that mainly consists of Armenian Syrian and Lebanese citizens on April 29, 2001. The aim of the organization was to commit terror acts in Turkey and Azerbaijan. «Apostol»: 2001-ci il aprel ayının 29-da əsasən Ermənistan, Suriya və Livan vətəndaşlarından ibarət olan Ermənistan Müdafiə Birliyi tərəfindən yaradılmışdır. Məqsəd- Türkiyə və Azərbaycan ərazilərində terror aktların keçirilməsidir.