Battle of Karakilisa should not be confused with Battle of Kara Killisse (1915).
| Conflict: | Battle of Karakilisa |
| Partof: | Caucasus Campaign |
| Date: | May 25–28, 1918 |
| Place: | Vanadzor, Armenia |
| Result: | Ottoman victory |
| Combatant1: | Armenia |
| Combatant2: | Ottoman Empire |
| Commander1: | Tovmas Nazarbekian Garegin Nzhdeh Andranik Ozanian |
| Commander2: | Wehib Pasha Kazim Pasha |
| Strength1: | 6,000 70 cannons and 20 Machine guns |
| Strength2: | 10,000 70 Cannons and 40 Machine Guns |
| Units1: | 1st infantry division 8th infantry regiment |
| Units2: | 5th division 36th division |
| Casualties1: | 1,000 dead and captured |
| Casualties2: | Heavy |
| Casualties3: | 4,000 civilian massacred |
The Battle of Karakilisa (hy|Ղարաքիլիսայի ճակատամարտ Gharakilisayi chakatamart, tr|Karakilise Muharebesi or Turkish: Karakilise Muharebeleri) took place during the Caucasus Campaign of World War I in the vicinity of Karakilisa (now Vanadzor), on May 25–28, 1918.
After Russia's withdrawal from the war, the Armenians fell into a very difficult situation, all the Russian conquests returned back to the Turks, these are cities such as Erzurum, Erzincan, Muş, Bitlis, Trabzon and in May 1918 they captured Alexandroupol where 6,000 Armenians were immediately massacred and killed but the Armenian troops took the tactic of "not a step back" and preferred to die than surrender the land.
One of the advancing Turkish forces moved towards Yerevan, another one to Karakilisa. The latter forces included about 10,000 soldiers, 80 pieces of artillery and 50 machine-guns. The Armenians were leaving their homes moving to the south to Yerevan and Syunik. Garegin Nzhdeh (with his troops) reached Karakilisa and managed to unite the population for the fight. The Armenian forces reached the number of 6,000. After a violent battle of 4 days, on May 25–28, both sides had serious losses. Although the Ottoman army managed to occupy Karakilisa and massacre all its population of 4,000 people, it had no more forces to intrude farther into Armenian territories.
Despite the victory, the Turks experienced difficulties, their troops were drained of blood by the fierce resistance of the Armenians, as well as the scorched earth tactics in Georgia. The Turks reported to the headquarters: