The bombing was carried out by two ethnic Armenians, allegedly operatives of militant organization Vrezh, based in Rostov-on-Don. The organization's debut was the bombing of Tbilisi-Baku bus on September 16, 1989, leaving 5 civilians dead and 27 injured.[1][7][8] The perpetrators of Khanlar bombing were two Armenian militants Armen Mikhailovich Avanesyan and Mikhail Mikhailovich Tatevosov (Tatevosyan) who were arrested before their next plot on the same Agdam-Tbilisi route, planned for June 17, 1991, was realized.[4][9] The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan charged and found them guilty in May 1992, sentencing Avanesyan and Tatevosyan to death and 15 years of imprisonment, respectively.[9] Tatevosov was later exchanged for an Azerbaijani hostage in Tartar Rayon of Azerbaijan in May 1992.[6]