Alif Hajiyev

{{Infobox military person

|name=Alif Hajiyev

|birth_date={{Birth date|1953|06|24}}

|death_date= {{death date and age|1992|02|26|1953|06|24}}

|birth_place= Khojaly, Azerbaijan

|death_place= Khojaly

|image=

|caption= Alif Hajiyev during First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

|nickname=

|allegiance=Republic of Azerbaijan

|serviceyears=1990-1992

|rank= Major, Commandant of Khojaly Airport

|commands= Khojaly garrison

|battles=First Nagorno-Karabakh War

|awards= {{Awd|National Hero of Azerbaijan |1993}}

|relations=

|laterwork=

}}

Alif Haciyev Latif oglu ({{langx|az|Əlif Hacıyev Lətif oğlu}}) (June 24, 1953 – February 26, 1992) was an Azerbaijani officer, Commandant of Khojaly Airport and National Hero of Azerbaijan.

{{cite journal

| url = http://azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/73_folder/73_articles/73_khojali.html

| title = Running For Our Lives. Massacre and Flight From Khojali

| pages = 54–56

| author = Elman Mammadov

|date=Autumn 1999

| journal = Azerbaijan International

| access-date = 2010-04-27 }}

Early years

Alif Hajiyev was born on June 24, 1953, in Khojaly.{{cite book |script-title=ru:Ходжалы: шехиды и шахиды : армянский терроризм как составная часть международного терроризма |trans-title=Khojaly: martyrs and princes: Armenian terrorism as an integral part of international terrorism |last=Mammadova |first= Havva |year=2005 |publisher= Dom skazki |isbn= 9789952210217|page=191 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=56_pAAAAIAAJ&q=%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%84+%D0%93%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B2 |access-date= 2010-04-27|language=ru}}

From 1971 through 1973, Hajiyev served in Soviet Armed Forces and was stationed in Minsk, Belarus. In 1974–84, he held various positions in Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belorussian SSR and militia of NKAO of Azerbaijan SSR.

In December 1990, Alif Hajiyev was appointed head of administration and commandant of Khojaly airport. In December 1991, Hajiyev was promoted to a rank of major.

Khojaly Massacre

File:Əlif Hacıyev - Khojaly 20 (26.02.2012).jpg

Alif Hajiyev helped the completely surrounded town survive for a few months with no gas and electricity, limited supply of food.{{cite book |title=Sons of the conquerors: the rise of the Turkic world |last=Pope |first= Hugh |year=2005 |publisher= Overlook Duckworth |location= Michigan |isbn= 1-58567-804-X |page= 59 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=LrLcOwAACAAJ&q=Sons+of+the+conquerors:+the+rise+of+the+Turkic+world |access-date= 2010-04-27}} When the Armenian offensive from three sides started on February 25, Alif gave an order to evacuate the town. The few defenders along with Hajiyev escorted the crowd of civilians along the Gorgor river valley overnight to the open plain near the village Nakhichevanli, just six miles away from Azerbaijani positions in Şelli village of Aghdam, where the Khojaly Massacre took place on February 26.{{cite book |title=Azerbaijan Diary: A Rogue Reporter's Adventures in an Oil-Rich, War-Torn, Post-Soviet Republic |last=Goltz |first= Thomas |year=1999 |publisher= M.E. Sharpe, Inc |location= Michigan |isbn= 0-7656-0244-X |pages= 122–129 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gz5ariwuY34C&q=Azerbaijan+Diary |access-date= 2010-04-27}}

=Death=

Alif Hajiyev was one of the Azeri combatants escorting hundreds of Azerbaijani civilians fleeing Khojaly. While crossing a road in groups, civilians were defended by Hajiyev who exchanged fire with Armenian troops. While covering the third group, Hajiyev was shot dead while changing magazines.{{cite web|url= http://www.justiceforkhojaly.org/?p=media#2 |title= The Independent (London), 12 June 1992 |publisher= Justice for Khojaly|access-date=April 27, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100405235416/http://www.justiceforkhojaly.org/?p=media| archive-date= 5 April 2010 | url-status= live}} The bullet hit him in the head. Hajiyev was one of 40 defendants of the city which were stationed in Khojaly. Only 10 survived.{{cite web|url=http://www.nashvek.com/view.php?menu=news&id=512&date=2007-02-23 |script-title=ru:Список жертв армянского террора в Ходжалы |trans-title=List of victims of armenian terror in Khojaly |publisher= Nash Vek |date= February 23, 2007|access-date=April 22, 2010|language=ru}} more than 200 (and potentially up to 1,000) Azerbaijani civilians were killed during the subsequent massacre.{{cite web|title=Human Rights Watch World Report 1993 – The Former Soviet Union|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1993/WR93/Hsw-07.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218230025/http://www.hrw.org/reports/1993/WR93/Hsw-07.htm|archive-date=18 February 2015|access-date=28 April 2014|publisher=Hrw.org}} Hajiyev was buried in Martyrs' Lane, Baku.