Today is the 31st anniversary of the massacre in the Azerbaijani villages of Malibayli and Gushchular, Report informs.
From February 10 to 12, 1992, as a result of an attack by Armenian illegal armed formations on the villages of Malibayli, Ashagi Gushchular and Yukhari Gushchular of the Shusha district, about 50 peaceful ethnic Azerbaijanis were killed.
In the Shusha district, the villages of Malibayli and Gushchular, whose population consisted of Azerbaijanis, were located in a mountainous area - on a plateau, near the administrative center of the region - the city of Shusha.
About 4,000 people lived in the villages.
Since the beginning of the Karabakh war, these villages became the main targets of the Armenian armed formations. Since October 1991, Malibayli has been under complete blockade.
On February 5, a helicopter flying over the villages dropped notice leaflets to the villagers saying that they were given two days to leave their places of residence. Since the district had been under siege since 1991, the only way in and out was by helicopter. The last helicopter flying to Shusha was shot down by the Armenian forces on January 28.
At midnight on February 10, Armenian armed formations attacked Malibayli. Women and children fled to the village of Gushchular. All houses were burned down. In general, the inhabitants of both villages fought the enemy until the morning.
It was after the massacre in the villages of Malibayli, Ashagi Gushchular and Yukhari Gushchular that the Garadaghli, Agdaban and one of the biggest tragedies of the century - the Khojaly genocides took place, as a result of which hundreds of innocent Azerbaijanis were exterminated.