Azerbaijan is today commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide perpetrated by the Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijanis on Feb. 25-26, 1992.

Commenting on the anniversary of this tragedy the deputy head of the Azerbaijani presidential administration, the chief of the administration’s foreign relations department, Novruz Mammadov expressed confidence that Armenian thugs, who perpetrated this crime, will get the deserved punishment for their atrocities.

“I’m convinced the Armenian thugs will get the deserved punishment for the atrocities committed against elderly, women and children,” Mammadov said on his Twitter.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

On February 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops stationed in Khankendi committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly.

As a result of the massacre, some 613 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people. Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. A total of 487 civilians became disabled as a result of the onslaught. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people remains unknown.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.