The Capture of Khojaly and the Killing of Azerbaijani Civilians, February 1992

One of the gravest atrocities of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War occurred during the capture of Khojaly, an Azerbaijani-populated town near Stepanakert.

Khojaly occupied a strategically important position because it was located near the region's principal airport.

During the night of February 25–26, 1992, Armenian forces attacked and captured the town.

Azerbaijani civilians fled, many attempting to reach Azerbaijani-held territory near Aghdam.

Hundreds were killed during the flight.

Azerbaijan officially reports 613 people killed, including 106 women and 63 children. Independent human-rights investigations confirmed mass civilian deaths but did not independently establish every figure in the official Azerbaijani breakdown.

Human Rights Watch documented the responsibility of Karabakh Armenian forces for civilian deaths and rejected attempts to shift responsibility entirely onto Azerbaijani authorities.

There has been substantial controversy over warnings, alleged escape routes, and the circumstances in which civilians were killed. Those disputes do not remove the responsibility of armed forces to distinguish civilians from combatants and protect people fleeing combat.

The significance of Khojaly

The killings became a central event in Azerbaijani national memory.

They contributed to the collapse of political support for Azerbaijani President Ayaz Mutallibov and intensified demands for military retaliation.

The tragedy also hardened public attitudes toward compromise.

Khojaly is commonly commemorated in Azerbaijan as the Khojaly genocide. The mass killing of civilians is well documented, but that designation should be distinguished from a genocide finding by a competent international criminal court.

The atrocity remains an essential part of any complete history of the war.