Terror from above: Remembering Armenian missile strikes on Ganja Four years later

It has now been four years since the Armenian military launched its fifth missile attack on Ganja, one of Azerbaijan’s largest cities, during the Second Karabakh War.

On October 17, 2020, at approximately 1 a.m., the village of Javadkhan, situated in the centre of Ganja and far from the frontlines, was hit by SCUD/Elbrus ballistic missiles while residents slept peacefully, Caliber.Az recalls.

The strike resulted in the complete destruction of residential buildings, trapping people under the rubble. The attack claimed the lives of 15 civilians and injured more than 55 others, including children, women, and elderly individuals.

In the aftermath of this assault, the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan launched a criminal investigation under several charges, including waging aggressive war (Article 100.2), premeditated murder committed by a criminal organization (Article 120.2.1), murder with particular cruelty (Article 120.2.4), murder of two or more persons (Article 120.2.7), and murder motivated by national, racial, or religious hatred (Article 120.2.12). The investigation was assigned to the Prosecutor’s Office’s Investigation Department.

On this tragic anniversary, Azerbaijanis across the globe paid tribute to the victims of the Ganja attack, denouncing the killing of innocent civilians. The attack was condemned internationally, with multiple foreign media outlets reporting on Armenian war crimes targeting Azerbaijanis during the conflict.

On the same day, another attack was launched against Mingachevir, a critical town housing Azerbaijan's energy infrastructure, including the largest power plant in the South Caucasus, the Mingachevir Hydroelectric Power Plant. Although Mingachevir is located over 100 kilometres from the active conflict zone, Armenian forces targeted the city with missiles. Fortunately, Azerbaijani air defence systems successfully intercepted and neutralized the incoming projectiles before they could cause harm.

After Azerbaijan’s decisive victory in the Patriotic War, comprehensive efforts have been made to investigate and prosecute crimes committed during the conflict. On October 3, 2023, Azerbaijan's State Security Service arrested Arayik Harutyunyan, the former leader of the self-proclaimed "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic." The investigation revealed that Harutyunyan, born in 1973, played a direct role in orchestrating attacks on Azerbaijani territories, including missile strikes on Ganja and Barda, which resulted in significant civilian casualties. Additionally, Harutyunyan was implicated in planning terrorist activities, such as planting landmines across Azerbaijani regions and causing severe damage to civilian and military infrastructure.

Harutyunyan had already been indicted on October 28, 2020, under various charges, including aggression and terrorism-related offences, and was placed on an international wanted list following a court ruling. He faces multiple charges under Azerbaijan's Criminal Code, including Articles 100 (aggressive warfare), 116 (violations of laws and customs of war), 120 (premeditated murder), 214 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 214-3 (recruitment for terrorism), and 218 (organizing a criminal community), among others.

The missile attacks on Ganja by Armenian forces were carried out on four different occasions — October 4, 8, 11, and 17, 2020. These strikes resulted in the deaths of 27 people, with 175 others suffering injuries. In addition to the loss of life, extensive damage was inflicted on civilian infrastructure, including homes, vehicles, and businesses.

Throughout the Second Karabakh War, 93 civilians lost their lives due to Armenian aggression, including 12 children and 27 women. A total of 454 civilians were injured, and nearly 12,500 residential and commercial properties were either damaged or destroyed, along with 288 vehicles and 1,018 agricultural farms.

By Tamilla Hasanova