The Khojaly genocide, one of the most horrific tragedies of the 20th century, is commemorated annually. On the night of February 25-26, 1992, the city of Khojaly was occupied with the participation of Armenian armed forces and the supporting 366th motorized rifle regiment, and a mass massacre was committed against the civilian population. As a result of the tragedy, 613 civilians were murdered.
Saadat Zeynalova, a witness to the Khojaly massacre, spoke to Modern.az about her experiences. She stated that she was born in Khojaly on August 31, 1968, and had not left the city until the day the genocide occurred.
"That night it was snowing, but it felt as if it wasn't snow, but falling blood... We defended the city until February 26. Our young people were at the posts. The population was in the basements. Around 23:00 on the evening of February 25, we heard that the 366th Russian motorized rifle regiment had entered the city. The young people intended to stay and fight. However, they knew that military support and ammunition would not be possible".
According to her, civilians who realized that Khojaly would be captured tried to leave the area by moving in the direction of the Gargar River, but in the snowy weather, they were mistakenly led in the wrong direction, missing their way to Aghdam.
"We were a group of 290 people. Because the nights were foggy, we ended up in Shusha instead of Aghdam. It was as if God had cursed us that night. Bullets rained down from the sky, as did snow. There were also those who could not save their elderly fathers... Out of a group of 300 people, 27 of us survived".
S. Zeynalova stated that in some cases, Armenian armed units presented themselves as a group that had come to help, and then took people captive.
"There were those who shot themselves or threw themselves from mountains to avoid being taken hostage. Among the survivors, some later had their legs amputated due to frostbite. My uncle, Karimov Rashid, had his fingers amputated due to frostbite during World War II. It was as if it was written in his destiny; he became a martyr in Khojaly from frostbite. With the help of National Hero Allahverdi Baghirov, we were able to rescue my cousin, Karimov Abulfat, after 45 days of captivity. My cousin (aunt's son), National Hero Araz Salimov, was unable to use the last bullet he had saved for himself and became a martyr in captivity. His face and fingers had been cut off. My 14-year-old cousin (aunt's daughter), Elnara Aslanova, is still missing. My cousin (uncle's son) Shukurov Vagif, who fought alongside National Hero Alif Hajiyev, is a martyr of Uzundara. My other cousins, Shukurov Akif and Shukurova Antiga, are still missing. We have hundreds of such people".
Saadat Zeynalova stated that returning to Khojaly years later is both a sad and a proud feeling for her. She emphasized that she proudly recalls the raising of the State Flag in Khojaly city by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on October 15, 2023.
It should be recalled that Khojaly city was cleared of separatists on September 19-20, 2023, as a result of local anti-terror measures carried out by the Azerbaijani Army in Karabakh. Currently, restoration and reconstruction works are being carried out in the city.
