On the night of February 25-26, 1992, Armenian military units, with the assistance of Russia's 366th motorized rifle regiment, invaded the city of Khojaly and perpetrated genocide against its civilian population, primarily Azerbaijanis.

On February 25, 1992, the Armenian armed forces attacked Khojaly, utilizing armored vehicles and personnel from the 366th motorized rifle regiment stationed in Khankendi during the USSR era. Approximately 2,500 residents attempted to flee towards Aghdam, but ambushes set by Armenians resulted in the indiscriminate shooting of civilians. The Khojaly genocide, deemed the tragedy of the century, claimed the lives of 613 residents, obliterated 8 families, left 25 children orphaned, and one parent deceased for 130 children. Another 487 people, including 76 children, suffered injuries from enemy gunfire, and 1,275 were taken hostage. As of now, the fate of 150 hostages, including 68 women and 26 children, remains unknown.

Official estimates attribute over 140 million manats (approximately 170 million US dollars) in damages to the Azerbaijani state and its citizens due to the destruction and looting of state and privately-owned property linked to the occupation of Khojaly by illegal Armenian armed groups.

In 1993, a monument was erected in the Khatai district of Baku in remembrance of the Khojaly genocide victims. In 1994, on Heydar Aliyev's initiative, the Milli Majlis passed a resolution designating February 26 as Khojaly Genocide Day, outlining the incident's causes and culprits.

Since February 2009, the "Justice to Khojaly" campaign, initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, Chief Intercultural Dialogue Coordinator of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum, aims to inform the international community about the Khojaly tragedy, assign moral and political value to it globally, and ensure international commemoration. The campaign is coordinated through the website www.justiceforkhojaly.org.

Annually, on February 26, Azerbaijan and numerous countries worldwide commemorate the Khojaly genocide with solemnity. Azerbaijani embassies and diaspora organizations organize commemorative ceremonies and conferences, featuring photo exhibitions and documentaries showcasing Armenian atrocities in Khojaly, along with books detailing the genocide's facts.

Presently, approximately 20 national legislative bodies, 24 U.S. states, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Organization of Turkic States have passed resolutions condemning the Khojaly massacre, classifying it as genocide and a crime against humanity.

It's noteworthy that Khojaly was liberated from separatists on September 19-20, 2023, through local anti-terrorist measures by the Azerbaijani Army in Karabakh. On October 15, 2023, President Ilham Aliyev raised the State Flag of Azerbaijan in Khojaly, symbolizing that the victims' blood does not remain on the ground.