Will Sumgait witness Jewish massacres?February 10, 2009 - 12:18 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Several incidents were registered in Sumgait, Azerbaijan, on the night of Feb. 9, sources say. Several apartments belonging to Jews were robbed. According to preliminary data, 12 injured, some of them knifed, were hospitalized. The outbreak of violence is probably conditioned by recent events in the Gaza Strip. Azerbaijan's indignation with the Jewish community dates back to 2006, when Jews openly supported Israel's offensive in Lebanon. At that time, Imam of Juma mosque Ilgar Ibragimoglu made harsh and threatening statements. "I promise Semen Ihilov (the eader of Jewish religious community in Azerbaijan) to demonstrate our solidarity with Palestinians and Lebanese," he said. This morning, head of Sumgait executive branch Vagif Aliyev summoned an extraordinary meeting with national security agents, demanding to find and punish the perpetrators, azertopnews reports. The notorious story of Sumgait started in 1988, when 32 Armenians were reported to be killed and hundreds wounded, with the connivance of the Azerbaijani leadership. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. |