DM Monitoring
BAKU: Locals in Azerbaijan’s Ganja, where the subsequent Armenian attacks had killed 26 civilians last month, refuse to leave their properties, calling on the international community to pay attention to their suffering.
“Why does the world remain silent?” asked Şaire Guliyeva, who lost her 13-year-old nephew Artur Mayakov in the Armenian attacks.
“He had his own dreams. He wanted to live well. He left me with the pain of his loss,” Guliyeva said, remembering her nephew, who was a Russian citizen.
“This is my home. This is where I was born and raised. I’ve lived here. This is the land of my ancestors. I would not leave this place,” she underlined, adding that once a scene from the movies, now the notion of war is more than real to them.
Guliyeva is only one of the hundreds of civilians who fell victim to the Armenian attacks.
The first Armenian attack on the region took place on Oct. 4, when a missile hit the city and killed one while injuring 30 others. The second attack took place on Oct. 8 during which many residential buildings were damaged, however, no loss of life was incurred. Then, on Oct.10, only a day after Russia brokered a cease-fire between the warring sides, Armenia attacked for the third time. An Armenian Scud missile hit an apartment complex in Ganja, completely destroying it. During this attack, the city’s infrastructure was heavily damaged as well. In the attack, 10 civilians were killed and 40 others were injured, including women and children. A total of 95 buildings were damaged, impacting the lives of approximately 205 people. The fourth and final attack took place on Oct.17. After the firing of the Armenian Scud missiles, three massive explosions rocked the city. These attacks were made in densely populated areas. The attack damaged about 20 buildings and killed 15 civilians, including Guliyeva’s nephew. Fifty-five civilians were also injured.
The attacks have been strongly condemned by Azerbaijan and Turkey, while Armenia denied targeting civilian settlements in the city. Although countries such as Qatar, Malaysia, Switzerland and the U.K. expressed their condolences over the incident, the majority of the international community has remained mostly silent. Condemnation came from the EU regarding the fourth attack, while the U.N. referred to the incident as “unacceptable.”
