Ayaz Mutallibov visits graves of killed persons in helicopter shot by Armenians

Baku. 20 November. REPORT.AZ/ Azerbaijani former president Ayaz Mutallibov visited graves of public figures in Alley of Honor, killed in Mi-8 helicopter shot down by Armenians in Garakand village of Khojavand region in 1991.

Report informs, ex-president laid flowers on the graves of victims of the tragedy.

'Shooting down of a helicopter of public figures is one of the greatest tragedies in the Azerbaijan's history', A.Mutallibov, President of the country in that period told to Report in his statement.

'Persons who were interested in this accident, ordersof the crash and other issues should be investigated', he added.

24 years have passed since Armenian terrorists’ shooting down helicopter MI-8 near Garakand village of Khodjavand region on November 20 in 1991.

As a result of the tragedy 22 people- Parliamentarian, State Secretary Tofig Ismayilov, Deputy Prime Minister Zulfu Hajiyev, parliamentarian Mahammad Asadov, Prosecutor General Ismat Gayibov, parliamentarians Vagif Jafarov and Vali Mammadov, Department Chief of the President’s Office Osman Mirzeyev, First Deputy Minister of Melioration and Water Supply Gurban Namazaliyev, Assistant to State Secretary R. Mammadov, employees of Azerbaijan State TV and Radio Ali Mustafayev, Arif Huseynzade and Fakhraddin Shakhbazov, observers from Russian Federation Major-General M. Lukashov and Lieutenant Colonel V.Kocharov, First Deputy Minister of International Affairs of Kazakhstan S. Serikov and three crew members were killed in the helicopter crash in Garakand village, Khojavand.

It was believed initially that the helicopter had crashed into a mountain and exploded as a result of foggy flying conditions. However, after a few days shooting confirmed.