Today marks the anniversary of the liberation of Hadrut settlement in Azerbaijan's Khojavand district.
According to Report, Hadrut was liberated on October 9, 2020, as a result of counteroffensive operations launched by the Azerbaijani Army on September 27 that year.
During the fighting, Azerbaijani forces advanced on the southern front in early October and moved toward Hadrut from a direction the opposing side had not expected.
The liberation of Hadrut became one of the operations that played a major role in shaping the course of the war. While the opposing side expected Azerbaijani forces to advance toward Shusha from another direction, the Azerbaijani Army first liberated Hadrut and later moved toward Shusha.
For this reason, the battles for Hadrut played a significant role in the subsequent liberation of Shusha.
Heavy fighting began on October 7, and by October 9, the Azerbaijani Army had taken control of strategically important villages and heights near the settlement.
On the same day, along with Hadrut, the villages of Chayli in Tartar, Yukhari Guzlak and Gorazilli in Fuzuli, Gishlag, Garajalli, Afandilar and Suleymanli in Jabrayil, and Sor in Khojavand were also liberated.
On March 16, 2021, President of Azerbaijan and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev raised the national flag in Hadrut and delivered a speech.