Malaysian South-South Information Gateway agency publishes article about Khojaly genocide
Baku, February 24 (AZERTAC). Malaysia`s the South-South Information Gateway (SSIG) agency has published an article titled “The Khojaly Massacre in the late 20th century” at the initiative of Azerbaijan`s Embassy in Malaysia.
The article reads: “Khojaly with the population of some 7 thousand was Azerbaijani settlement situated within the Nagorno Karabakh region of Azerbaijan which was occupied by Armenians in early 1990s. Because of its communication advantage of harboring the civil airport, just on the eve of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Khojaly had become shelter for Azerbaijani refugees deported from other parts of Nagorno Karabakh.
Late into the night of February 25, 1992, Khojaly has undergone intensive fire from surrounding Azerbaijani towns which were already occupied by Armenian forces. During that night the Armenian armed forces supported by the ex-Soviet 366th regiment completed the invasion of the town by heavy artillery shelling. After all, 150 people defending the town were killed. The remaining handful of the town`s defendants provided a humanitarian corridor for several hundreds of the town`s residents to escape their homes. Under the heavy conditions Khojaly`s population moved into the darkness of night to be met in the middle of the route by ambush of Armenian forces and militia.
Several thousands of fleeing civilians trying to find refuge in the near-by forests and mountains terrain were ambushed at several points and being shelled by bullet rain. Thus, the Armenian punitive teams reached out unprotected civilians to slaughter some, finish off others, having some bodies mutilated and scalped as the notorious Karabakh war trophies.
Consequently, in a few hours of night from 25 to 26 February, 613 civilians were killed including 106 women and 63 children. 56 people were killed with outrageous brutality, 8 families were totally exterminated, and 25 children lost both parents while 130 children lost at least one parent in a massacre which has become the most brutal punishment of civilians during the whole 3 years of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict`s military phase.
Khojaly genocide committed by some Armenians on 26 February 1992 is disgraceful fact for the humankind in late 20th century. And it is worth to mention that, ironically, some of the active committers of this genocide are members of Armenian civil and military leadership at present. As a matter of fact, some nations have suffered from ruthless massacres throughout the history. And some of the offenders have been recognized and even charged respectively. Therefore, Azerbaijan is also expecting the legitimate response by world community and international legal bodies with regard to Khojaly genocide.”
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