Azerbaijan marks six years since Ganja terror attack

Azerbaijan on Sunday (11 October) marked the sixth anniversary of the deadly terror attack on Ganja, the country's second-largest city, where an Armenian ballistic missile struck a residential neighbourhood during the Second Garabagh War, killing ten civilians.

The attack took place at around 2 am on 11 October 2020, just hours after a humanitarian ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia had come into effect. According to Azerbaijani authorities, nine people, including four women, were killed immediately, while 35 others were injured. One of those wounded later died in hospital. More than ten apartment buildings and more than 100 other facilities were damaged.

Ganja targeted five times during the war

Ganja came under missile and artillery attacks on five occasions during the 44-day conflict in October 2020. According to Azerbaijani authorities, the attacks killed 26 people and injured 175 others, causing extensive destruction to residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and vehicles. Across Azerbaijan, 93 civilians, including 12 children and 27 women, were killed during the conflict, while another 454 were injured. More than 12,000 residential and non-residential buildings were damaged.

Human Rights Watch also documented Armenian missile and rocket strikes on residential neighbourhoods in Ganja, concluding that the use of inaccurate explosive weapons in populated areas violated international humanitarian law.