Today marks the 34th anniversary of the Balligaya massacre, a brutal crime committed by Armenian armed groups that remains a tragic chapter in the history of the conflict.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that 34 years have passed since the massacre, which was carried out by Armenian armed forces against innocent Azerbaijani civilians.
The tragedy, known as the Balligaya massacre, occurred on August 28, 1992, at approximately 5:00 a.m. in the village of Balligaya, located in the Goranboy district.
As a result of the massacre, 24 Azerbaijani civilians, including six children—among them a six-month-old infant—and a 93-year-old woman, were brutally murdered. Many of the victims, primarily children, women, and the elderly, had their bodies burned following the attack. Three young children were left orphaned, having lost both parents in the incident.
The Balligaya massacre is part of a series of mass killings committed by Armenian armed forces with the intent to systematically eliminate the Azerbaijani population of Garabagh, similar to the atrocities previously carried out in the Garadaghli village of Khojavand, the city of Khojaly, and the Aghdaban village of Kalbajar.
Following the occupation of the Lachin district in the summer of 1992, displaced residents were forced to settle in various regions of Azerbaijan. Six families, bound by kinship, had settled in the Balligaya area, which was suitable for livestock farming. The Lachin residents, who were living in tents in the village, had arrived there specifically to continue their pastoral activities.
However, on August 28, they were subjected to an act of extreme cruelty. At approximately 5:00 a.m., a sabotage group of 10-12 members of the Armenian army infiltrated the area and launched an armed attack on the defenseless civilians. As a result, 24 civilians, who possessed no means of self-defense, were brutally murdered, and nine others were severely wounded. All of the victims and those injured were civilians, shepherds, and their family members engaged in livestock farming.
We honor the memory of the innocent civilians who lost their lives in the Balligaya tragedy.
