Trend, Azerbaijan
Feb 28 2009

U.S. congressman discusses Khojali tragedy in Congress
28.02.09 13:46

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 28 / Trend News E. Rustamov /

An U.S. congressman made a statement about the Khojali tragedy in
Congress.

"On Feb. 26, 1992, Armenian armed forces attacked Khojali,
Azerbaijan. Approximately 2,000 people – mostly women, children and
the elderly – were killed, wounded or taken prisoner," Congressman Ed
Whitfield said at the House of Representatives, the Azerbaijani
Embassy in the U.S. told Trend News.

On the night of Feb. 25-26, 1992, Armenian armed units, with the
support of former armed forces’ motorized fusiliers regiment No 366
located in Khankandi, attacked unarmed and defenseless Khojali
town. The Armenian troops surrounded the town and opened a ruthless
fire from artillery and heavy military equipment. Fire broke out in
the town. Defenders and local population had to leave the blazing
Khojali. Armenian invaders occupied the town by 5 o’clock in the
morning on Feb. 26.

As a result of the massacre, 613 Azerbaijani citizens were killed. A
total of 487 people were left disabled and 1,275 civilians were taken
prisoner, tortured and insulted. The fate of 150 people remains
unknown.

Whitfield’s speech was made as part of the international "Justice for
Khojali" campaign.

The campaign was launched by Leyla Aliyeva, OIC Youth Forum general
coordinator for intercultural dialogue.

Appealing to U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Whitfield delivered a detailed
speech about the events in Khojali.

These were the bloodiest events in the modern history of the Caucasus
and Caspian region, he said.

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