32 years have passed since the Bashlybel tragedy

18 Apr 2025 00:47

Politics 21

April 18 - the anniversary of another crime committed by Armenian bandit-terrorist detachments against the civilian population of Azerbaijan - the Bashlybel tragedy, which is considered a black spot in the history of humanity.

On this date, our people honor the memory of the victims of the terrible massacre that occurred during the occupation of the Kalbajar region.

In early April 1993, the Kalbajar region was occupied by Armenians. 73 residents of the village of Bashlybel, whose population at that time was about 2,000 people, were unable to leave their homes in time. On April 2, a group of villagers tried to break out of the encirclement, but they failed. Among them were those killed and taken prisoner, while 62 people, seeking to protect themselves, took shelter in caves.

But they managed to hide for only 18 days. On April 18, Armenian armed formations, having discovered the hiding places of civilians, launched an armed attack on them. That same night, during a merciless attack on residents hiding in the "Portda" caves located just above the village, 14 civilians were taken prisoner, 18 people were killed. The remaining 30 survivors continued to live under siege, changing their shelters to other caves in the village area. Only after 113 days, on July 17, were they able to leave their shelter and break out of the Armenian army's encirclement, moving only at night along hidden mountain roads.

According to the statement signed on November 10, 2020, following the 44-day Patriotic War, the Kalbajar region returned under Azerbaijan's control on November 25. After the liberation of Kalbajar, the process of investigating the atrocities, destruction committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis, and, most importantly, tragedies such as Bashlybel, gained wide scope. On September 6, 2021, the remains of the victims of the Bashlybel tragedy were exhumed in Kalbajar.

During the investigation conducted by the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan, it was established that during the military occupation of the Kalbajar region in early April 1993, the Armenian Armed Forces showed particular cruelty towards the civilians of Bashlybel village.

According to the investigation materials, before the occupation, this village with 259 residential houses, a secondary school, kindergarten, and hospital was one of the largest in the region. The settlement with an area of 3,232 hectares was home to 1,996 people. The village was located 64 km from the district center, at the foot of Delidag at an altitude of 2,000 m above sea level.

It was established that on April 3, 1993, the Armenian Armed Forces carried out an armed attack on the village of Bashlybel, committed mass looting, and completely burned the homes of local residents. 62 people who were unable to leave the village took shelter in caves in the mountainous area of Portda, located approximately 3 km from the village, in its highest part. Of these, 48 people were residents of Bashlybel, one was from the village of Takhtabashi, four were natives of the Lachin region, and nine were servicemen defending the village.

Armed with automatic rifles and large-caliber weapons, Armenian military formations, not satisfied with the atrocities committed, on April 18, 1993, in search of unarmed civilians hiding from them, fired at the caves where they were hiding for six hours (from 15:00 to 21:00).