April 18 marks another anniversary of the Bashlibel tragedy, when Armenian militants carried out a mass killing of civilians in Kalbajar.
As Caliber.Az reminds, it has been 32 years since the massacre committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis during the occupation of Kalbajar.
Following the Armenian occupation of Kalbajar in early April 1993, 73 residents of the village of Bashlibel — which had a population of around 2,000 — were unable to leave their homes in time and found themselves under siege. While attempting to break out of the encirclement on April 2, Armenian forces killed nine people and took five others hostage. The remaining 62 individuals sought refuge by retreating into the mountains.
The escapees managed to remain in hiding for only 18 days. On April 18, Armenian soldiers located their whereabouts and launched an attack. That night, 14 people were taken hostage and 18 were killed when Armenian forces assaulted the civilians sheltering in the "Portda" cave, situated just above the village. The remaining 30 individuals continued to hide, relocating to other caves. After 113 days in concealment, they finally left their hiding place on July 17 and managed to escape by navigating secret mountain paths, travelling only at night.
During these tragic events, one resident of Bashlibel, 93-year-old Alasgar Kazimov, remained in the village and lived under siege, never leaving his home.
Information about the Bashlibel tragedy was included in the 2021 annual report on global human rights by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
Kalbajar District was liberated from occupation on November 25, 2020, as a result of the 44-day Patriotic War.
Source: caliber.az
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