The shelling of Alxanlı or the Alxanlı tragedy (Azerbaijani: Alxanlı faciəsi) was shelling of a house in Alxanlı village and municipality in Fuzuli District of Azerbaijan by the Armenian Armed Forces with 82 mm and 120 mm artilleries on 4 July 2017. As a result of the shelling, 51-year-old Azerbaijani woman Sahiba Guliyeva and her 18-month-old granddaughter Zahra Guliyeva were killed, while 52-year-old Sarvinaz Guliyeva was seriously injured, but survived.[1][2][3][4]
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Both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire.[5] Armenian Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan claimed that Azerbaijan was responsible for all casualties due to "continuing military provocations against Nagorno-Karabakh".[6] Local authorities of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh claimed that Azerbaijan fired from positions near the residential buildings of Alxanlı.[7]Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesperson Vagif Dargahly denied these claims, stating that there had been no military headquarters or firing positions in Alxanlı at the time of the shelling.[8] On 6 July 2017, Azerbaijani state and local authorities organized a visit of foreign military attachés accredited to Azerbaijan and representatives of foreign media to Alxanlı.[9]Turkish Foreign Ministry,[10] ambassador of Iran to Azerbaijan,[11] senators and parliament members from the United Kingdom,[12] and Russia[13] condemned the Armenian side for launching attacks on civilian population.
