Merely a year after the events of the Ottoman Bank takeover, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation decided to retaliate and punish the Kurdish Mazrik tribe for their role in the Hamidian massacres and their ambush on the defenders of Van. The Mazrik tribe were settled in the fields of Khanasor, near Avarayr. The ARF, with the support of the Hunchakians and the Armenakans, organized an attack on the tribe. The operation was the brainchild of Nigol Douman alongside Khanasora Vartan Mehrpanian and Ishkhan Arghoutian, all of whom participated as commanders of the operation. On July 25, 1897, at dawn, 150 fedayees attacked the Mazrik tribe, killing all the men and sparing only the women and children. Mazrik commander Sharaf Beg managed to escape through the darkness. The attack ended on July 27, 1897. Although ARF founder Rosdoms brother Garo and 25 other fedayees were among the casualties, the Khanasor expedition was a small triumph for the Armenians, militarily and morally. As a result, Armenians built up their self-confidence; their belief in their ability to defend themselves was now reinforced. To this day, the ARF remembers the event in commemorative ceremonies honoring the expedition as an important event in the history of the Armenian struggle for freedom.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:31:28 +0000
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