Four years since tragic Armenian missile attacks devastated Ganja

Four years have passed since Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second-largest city, endured a devastating rocket attack during the Patriotic War.

On October 11, 2020, at around 2:00 a.m., despite a humanitarian ceasefire that had come into effect on October 10, the Armenian armed forces launched a deadly strike targeting civilians in Ganja, marking the fourth such attack on the city during the conflict.

As a result of the Armenian rocket fire, nine people, including four women, were killed, and 35 others were wounded — one of the wounded later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital, Caliber.Az recalls.

More than 10 apartment buildings and over 100 other structures, including vital infrastructure, were severely damaged.

In response to the attack, the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan launched a criminal case under the relevant articles of the country's Criminal Code. The moment of the rocket strike was captured by surveillance cameras operated by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The October 11 attack was part of a series of brutal shellings by Armenian forces during the Second Karabakh War. Ganja was struck five times in total — on October 4, 5, 8, 11, and 17. These assaults led to the deaths of 26 people and left 175 others wounded. The attacks also caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings and vehicles.

Throughout the Second Karabakh War, Armenian aggression resulted in the deaths of 93 Azerbaijani civilians, including 12 children and 27 women. An additional 454 civilians were injured. In total, 12,292 residential and non-residential premises were damaged or destroyed, 288 vehicles were impacted, and 1,018 farms were affected.

The tragedy of the rocket attacks on Ganja remains a painful chapter in the history of the Patriotic War, highlighting the devastating human toll and the violation of ceasefire agreements.

By Tamilla Hasanova