Armenian media publishes photos of Armenian women allegedly involved in killing 80 Azerbaijani servicemen

On the night of September 12 and the morning of September 13, 2022, the Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale provocation along the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border in the directions of Dashkasan, Kalbajar, Lachin and Zangilan.

While the large-scale provocation was being repelled, a total of 50 Azerbaijani servicemen were killed, including 42 servicemen of the Azerbaijani Army and eight servicemen of the State Border Service.

At the time, the Defense Ministry, in its statement on the incident, concluded by saying: “The blood of our martyrs has not been left unavenged.”

A total of 80 Azerbaijani servicemen were killed in those clashes.

According to general information, during the armed clashes, 33 servicemen of the Ground Forces, 24 servicemen of the Special Forces, 14 servicemen of the Commando Brigades and nine servicemen of the State Border Service were killed. Seventy-nine of the servicemen were killed during military operations, while one died in a hospital where he was receiving treatment after the fighting.

Of those killed, 14 were officers, 19 were warrant officers, 27 were long-term active-duty servicemen (sergeants or soldiers), and 20 were regular conscript soldiers. Thirty-two of those killed had participated in military operations during the 2020 Karabakh war and had been awarded various orders or medals.

On November 5, 2022, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an Order on awarding servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces who were killed in combat operations for the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Under the Order, all 80 servicemen killed during the September clashes were awarded the “For the Motherland” Medal. In addition, 30 of the martyrs were awarded the “Azerbaijani Flag” Order, 18 were awarded the 3rd Degree “For Courage” Order, and 32 were awarded the 3rd Degree “For Service to the Motherland” Order.

Analyses show that a total of 80 Azerbaijani servicemen were killed during the military clashes along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border on the night of September 12–13, 2022, and in the following days. Of them, 79 were killed during combat operations, while one died in hospital from injuries sustained during the clashes.

In terms of the composition of the fallen servicemen, 14 were officers (two captains, four senior lieutenants and eight lieutenants), 19 were warrant officers (four senior warrant officers, 11 warrant officers and four junior warrant officers), 27 were long-term active-duty servicemen (sergeants and soldiers), and 20 were regular conscript soldiers. By rank classification, the total number of enlisted personnel was 43.

In terms of combat experience, 32 of these servicemen had participated in the 44-day Patriotic War of 2020 and had been awarded various combat orders and medals. According to demographic and family-status indicators, the overwhelming majority of the fallen — approximately 58–60 servicemen — were unmarried, including 25 young conscripts aged 18–20. The remaining 20–22, mainly officers, warrant officers and experienced contract servicemen, were married and heads of families.

Comment: Interestingly, four years have passed, and there may already be very few people in Azerbaijan who remember the 2022 clashes, or perhaps even the martyrs themselves. Naturally, apart from their relatives, Wikipedia has also served as a source providing us with historical information about these people.

However, it was SisMasis, an Armenian Facebook page, that reminded us of this history — following the resistance against enemy forces that treacherously attacked Azerbaijan and sleeping soldiers that night, five Armenian female mercenaries were killed.

And yesterday, Armenians circulated numerous posts commemorating them.

According to official information from Armenia’s Defense Ministry, the female servicemen who were killed were:

Alisa Melkonyan

Anush Apetyan

Irina Gasparyan

Gayane Abgaryan

Susanna Grigoryan

If the war is over — and it is — it would be better for them not to make such posts. Continuing to do so is deeply shameful and appears to be an attempt to keep revenge and hatred alive. What is the purpose? To seek revenge at the first opportunity?

Ismayil Shahli