In the spring and summer of 1991, the violence during the First Nagorno-Karabakh war escalated into a partisan-style conflict between villages as raids were made and hostages were taken.

[1] Markar Melkonian, brother of Monte Melkonian, who participated in the capture of the village, describes in his book My Brother's Road that the fighters from Arabo and Aramo units gathered thirty-eight Azerbaijani captives, including several women and other non-combatants, in a ditch on the outskirts of the village.

The Arabo and Aramo fighters who were already "wishing to avenge the death of another comrade the day before, began stabbing and shooting their captives", until all died.

One of the Armenian fighters doused several wounded Azerbaijani soldiers with gasoline and burned them alive.

Letters had been sent by Azerbaijan to the United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Red Cross condemning the killing of Azerbaijani civilians.