On February 14, 1992, Armenian military units, with the help of military forces and equipment of the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the former USSR Armed Forces stationed in Azerbaijan’s Khankandi city, attacked the Garadagli village in the Khojavand district.
Despite the heroic defense of the villagers, on February 17, the village of Garadagli was occupied by Armenian forces in unequal battles.
Arabo and Aramo units and Monte Melkonian’s group took an active part in the attack on Garadagli.
Report presents video footage prepared by the staff of its Karabakh bureau on the 30th anniversary of the Garadagli tragedy.
The victim of the Garadagli tragedy, Islam Dadashov, told the local bureau of Report that everyone who took up arms in Garadagli fought against Armenian terrorists and defended the village from the enemy:
“After 1988, weapons of the residents of Karabakh and surrounding areas were forcibly seized, the villagers were deliberately disarmed. Everyone did their best against the enemy. During the defense of Gardagli, the villagers used all means against the enemy, who were armed with heavy technique. We had several submachine guns and shotguns. We also used a ground slingshot to throw relatively large stones at the enemy. At that time, whoever had money and gold in his house bought a machine gun and bullets, joined the village self-defense group, and fought against the Armenians.”
In early February 1992, Armenians attacked Garadagli several times. Villagers were on duty 24 hours a day at the posts set up at the main heights and entrances and exits of the village. Therefore, the Armenians thought that the village was protected by the Azerbaijani military. Residents of Garadagli, who protected the village, were taken hostage by Armenians in an unequal battle on February 17.
Agjagul Dadashova, who witnessed the tragedy, said that the village self-defense group killed a large number of enemy forces and destroyed their equipment in the fight against Armenian terrorists: “Therefore, the Armenians were cruel to the residents of Garadagli village. After taking us hostage, they put us in trucks. They stopped the truck where an Armenian terrorist was killed during the defense of the village killed several people thereby taking revenge. They mercilessly shot the fighters, dumped all the dead and wounded in a silo trench, and buried them. Even after closing the trench, there were moans heard.”
Mahruba Dadashova, who was 15 years old during the Garadagli tragedy, said that she did not forget the massacres committed by Armenians at that time:
“It is true that I was young at that time. But I remember all the events that took place. Armenians burned six members of a family alive on a farm near our village. Their screams were heard for several minutes and then stopped. Then Armenian terrorists hit and blew up the Gardagli-Khankendi bus, in which a woman and an old woman were killed. We were 9 children - 6 brothers and 3 sisters in the family. Two of our brothers were killed and one went missing.”
There was a total of 800 residents in the Garadagli village. Shortly before the tragedy, a group of villagers were evacuated. On the day of the tragedy, there were 118 residents and 14 soldiers in the village. As many as 54 out of 118 residents and 12 out of 14 soldiers were killed by torture. Of those killed, 10 were women and 8 were children. Four people were killed in each of the two families, and 42 families lost their heads. During the occupation, 200 houses, 1 culture house, a 320-seat secondary school, a 25-bed hospital, and other facilities were destroyed in the village.