A child who loved life
17.12.2019 – 17.10.2020

10-month-old baby

Suffering a bitter defeat on the battlefields of the 44-day-long Patriotic War ever since it started on 27 September, Armenians resorted to provocations.

They carried missile and rocket strikes on cities and villages of Azerbaijan, killing peaceful population far away from the frontline.

According to the General Prosecutor's Office, 93 non-combatants were killed and 454 wounded as a result of these Armenian missile and rocket strikes as of 16 November 2020.

There were also kids among these casualties.

During the war, Armenian criminals launched several artillery strikes on Azerbaijan's second largest city of Ganja, which sits far away from the frontline. The heaviest strike was launched on 17 October 2020. As rockets ripped through Javadkhan settlement in the center of Ganja at about 01:00 AM, 15 civilians were killed and 55 wounded. Among the casualties were 6 men, 4 women, and 6 little kids.

One of the victims was Narin Khaligova, a ten months old baby. Also killed by the strike were her mother, grandfather, uncle and female cousin.

Narin's grandmother Silduz Asgarova survived and was recovered from under the rubble. Narin and her mother Sevil Asgarova were interred in one grave.

Narin, who came to this world after 5 years of waiting...
Narin Teymur Khaligova
Narin's grandmother Silduz Asgarova recollects that tragic night:

"When we went to sleep, it was around ten minutes to midnight. I asked the grandchildren if they are scared, and they said they are not. Narin was still playing and did not want to go to sleep. I said to her mother: let her play, you can get her to bed when she grows tired. Narin was a very joyful and lovely child. Put in a baby walker, she strolled up to her grandfather. She called him: "Granpa, grandpa", and he woke up and said: "Narin, you called on me?" He took her on his hands and nursed her.

Narin was born on 17 December 2019. The doctor came out of the labor ward and congratulated us, saying, "your daughter just had a healthy three-kilogram girl". We were so happy to hear that. 3 years back, my husband had a blood-stroke and felt ill ever since. After Narin was born, my husband felt much better; I suffer from diabetes, but I forgot all my ailments after she appeared in this world. This kid was a godsend, a grace of God we were waiting for 5 years.

My daughter could not spend a second away from her child. She said: Narin is my life, I found it after all these years. And her husband echoed. Nigar was another person who was taking care of Narin ever since she was born. Narin's father said to his wife: "Sevil, you are Narin's mother but it is Nigar (Narin's cousin - editor) who can lull her to sleep in no time." They were my angels. The missile strike claimed the lives of 5 people from my family. My deceased son left 2 children after him. Nobody would have ever thought a missile could hit our house and take our life apart. This was the land of our fathers."

Armenians took my children away...
I would rather agree to lose my right hand than my grandchildren", the granny goes on:

"Narin's father has been crying ever since, his family is no more. All five people we lost loved each other greatly. It was like our family has been cut in twain, and the survived half is left to mourn. Nigar said: "I will become a teacher in a kindergarten." And I said to her: "Teaching is the best occupation for a girl". Nigar said: "Granny, I will be taking Narin with me to work".

We celebrated each month after Narin's birthday. She would turn one year old after two months. We were planning to celebrate Narin's 10 months birthday on the 17th, and Nigar's birthday next day. But Armenians took my children away... I pray that nobody ever loses their children. When a missile hit Azerittifaq, I watched TV and could not refrain from tears when I heard the terrible news. My heart was broken."

Silduz says the very idea of a missile hitting their house was something unheard of.

"We have seen survivor children; a kid who lost his father and mother says: thanks God my sister survived. The kid finds a reason to live in his sister; my father and mother are dead, but my sister is alive. I thought to myself: what is going to happen. I prayed to God, asking him to protect us from rockets; the children are scared to death.

Next morning after the missile hit Azerittifaq, I sent children with my daughter-in-law to my mother's house. She said the youngest son was scared by the sound of rockets. We would have never thought our house would be stricken too. My son's little son comes over, looks at his father's photo and calls: "Daddy, daddy". Armenians inflicted us a lot of pain, took out children away. Little did we know what might happen while people are sleeping peacefully. We blacked out; I can't remember our house collapsing and us carried to the hospital.

Recommended reading: