Three years pass since beginning of Patriotic War

Three years have passed since the beginning of the Patriotic War, Report informs.

On September 27, 2020, the brave Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev launched counter-offensive operations along the entire front in order to prevent military provocations and combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population.

On September 27, 2020, a counter-offensive was launched in response to Armenia's yet another large-scale military attack on Azerbaijani Army positions and civilian settlements. The counter-offensive later became known as Operation Iron Fist, which led to the Patriotic War.

During the 44-day Patriotic War, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev regularly addressed the people. Those addresses brought the people of Azerbaijan even closer together, united them like a fist, and had a tremendous impact on the course and outcomes of the war. Every appeal was a harbinger of further victories.

In his first address to the people during the Patriotic War on September 27, 2020, the President of Azerbaijan led the nation to believe in a resolute victory.

President Ilham Aliyev addressed the people for the second time on October 4, the third time on October 9, the fourth time on October 17, the fifth time on October 20, and the sixth time on October 26. The good news was heard in every address of the head of state to the people. That is why Azerbaijanis all over the world eagerly waited and listened to the head of state's address.

On the first day of the fighting, along with several villages, the Murovdag peak, one of the Azerbaijan Army's strategic points, was liberated from enemy occupation, which led to a further increase of great joy and enthusiasm both among the personnel and the people. The daily achievements on the battlefield during the 44-day war gave impetus to further victories. Thus, on October 3, the Azerbaijani Army had already shaken the enemy's positions in the northern direction of the front by liberating Talish and Sugovushan settlements. At the same time, the sound of good news was heard on the southern front, where the fighting continued in parallel. Of course, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Ilham Aliyev, delivered all the good news to the people of Azerbaijan.

On October 4, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's announcement about the liberation of Jabrayil indicated that serious progress had been made in the southern direction of the front. In the first ten days of October, releasing some residential areas from the enemy had already caused great panic in the Armenian army. The enemy, in a great fright, tried to save his life only by running away from the battlefield. The Azerbaijani Army was busy chasing away the enemy and liberating our lands.

The liberation of Hadrut settlement on October 9 and Fuzuli city on October 17 dealt a blow to the enemy. As a result of the victories gained on the 21st day of the war, Armenia's political and military leadership realized its defeat. Of course, there was no going back. But the fighting continued more fiercely, and every day the Commander-in-Chief gave orders, the new good news was heard along the entire front. With the liberation of the Khudafarin settlement on October 18, the Azerbaijani Army restored another historical justice on the southern front. Only two days later, President Ilham Aliyev brought the good news to the people, which made all Zangilan residents happy. Thus, on October 20, the city of Zangilan was freed from enemy occupation. A day later - on October 21, the Minjivan settlement was also freed. With the liberation of the Aghband settlement of Zangilan district on October 22, the 132-kilometer section of the Azerbaijan-Iran state border occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces for many years was taken under full control.

It was already a few days before the end of October. The Azerbaijani Army had to fully fulfill the assigned tasks and liberate all the occupied lands. Thus, on October 25, the city of Gubadli was freed from occupation. This victory, like the other victories achieved, was met with enthusiasm both among the personnel and the people. The fighting continues, the Azerbaijani military has already liberated a large part of the occupied lands. The next target was the city of Shusha. The President said that without Shusha, our work would be incomplete. Thus, on November 8, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, in his address to the people from the Alley of Martyrs, announced that the city of Shusha was freed from occupation. With the liberation of Shusha, the enemy was forced to kneel before the Azerbaijani Army. After Shusha's transfer to Azerbaijan's control, Armenia came to terms with its defeat and was forced to sign the act of capitulation. The battles for Shusha were one of the most successful operations in the Patriotic War, which resulted in the victory of the Azerbaijani Army.

One day after the liberation of Shusha, more than 70 other settlements were liberated. The enemy was brought to its knees and had no choice but to sign an act of capitulation.

On November 10, 2020, the act of Armenia's capitulation, the "Statement of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and President of the Russian Federation", was signed.

Thus, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan showed its strength and might to the whole world both on the battlefield and in the political arena. During the Patriotic War, the head of state drew a line on the information front of Armenia with his interviews with the world's leading media organizations. President Ilham Aliyev has become the herald of Azerbaijan's truth worldwide with his address to the people, tweets, and about 30 interviews he gave during this period.

On the same day, in his eighth address to the nation, Ilham Aliyev announced that his phrase "Karabakh is Azerbaijan and an exclamation mark", which had become a national slogan, already covered the whole of Karabakh and put an end to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

As a result of a continuation of the military victory in the political arena, within 20 days after the 44-day war, three districts were returned to Azerbaijan – Aghdam on November 20, Kalbajar on November 25, and Lachin on December 1, 2020. In this regard, the President of Azerbaijan said in an address to the nation on December 1 that Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin have been returned without firing a single shot or a single person becoming a martyr.

Thus, Azerbaijan's lands that were gradually occupied by Armenian military units over the course of four years and remained under occupation for about 30 years were liberated in a matter of 44 days, regardless of strong military fortifications, obstacles, and lines of defense. The territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been restored, and the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has been consigned to history.

Azerbaijan won a brilliant victory in the Patriotic War, defeated Armenia, and put an end to the occupation. Every single day of these 44 days was a glorious history for Azerbaijan. The people of Azerbaijan and the state cherish the bright memory of the heroic sons who perished for the Motherland, always remember them with the utmost respect, appreciate the hard work of the wounded war veterans, and are proud of them. Some of the equipment seized from the Armenian army was displayed in a military parade in Baku on December 10, 2020, and is also exhibited in the Military Trophy Park, which opened in Baku in April 2021.

Restoration and reconstruction works are continuing in the already liberated areas, and all infrastructures are being rebuilt. New cities, villages, and settlements are built. The return to the liberated territories has begun. The visits of Azerbaijanis to their native lands and ancestral lands are easily ensured. Of course, from time to time, the owners of all liberated territories will return to their homelands. At the same time, it should be emphasized that Armenia still lives with revanchist ideas and does not want peace. Therefore, Armenia was once again taught a hard lesson in battles of September 2022. This time it was also brought to their attention that the iron fist was in place and ready to crush the enemy's head at any moment in order to prevent any provocation. At the same time, Azerbaijan has always supported peace worldwide and in the region. The state of Azerbaijan openly demonstrates this position to the whole world. The peace proposal he presented for the normalization of relations with Armenia after the Patriotic War is a clear example of Azerbaijan's position.

Until April last year, Azerbaijan left the Lachin road completely open for humanitarian purposes. However, Armenia abused this and started illegally transporting weapons and ammunition to the separatists in Karabakh. After several such facts were discovered and proved, Azerbaijan rightly established a checkpoint on the conventional border with Armenia to prevent this illegal activity. Thus, on April 23 of this year, the State Border Service (SBS) announced the establishment of a border crossing point on the border with Armenia, at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankandi road. The SBS stated that the checkpoint was created in order to prevent the transportation of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military equipment from Armenia to the illegal Armenian armed groups in the territory of Azerbaijan, contrary to the Tripartite declaration.

At the border crossing point, conditions are created for the movement of Armenian residents of the Karabakh region in both directions. The establishment of a border control mechanism at the beginning of the Lachin road ensures the transparency of road traffic, the rule of law and, thus, the safety of traffic.

Azerbaijan has always been a supporter of peace in the world and in the region. The state of Azerbaijan openly demonstrates this position to the whole world. The peace proposal presented for the normalization of relations with Armenia after the Patriotic War is a clear example of Azerbaijan's position. However, after the Patriotic War, illegal armed groups of separatists, as well as units of the Armenian armed forces, remained in Karabakh. They also made provocations from time to time and continued to mine the areas. Despite the repeated warnings of Azerbaijan in this regard, the Armenian separatists did not stop their actions. As a result, Azerbaijan launched a local anti-terrorist activities in Karabakh.

As a result of these activities in less than 24 hours, the front-line and deep positions and long-term firing points, as well as combat vehicles and military objects of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed by the use of high-precision weapons. The separatists fled, leaving behind their weapons and fighting positions. Not long ago, the illegal armed groups in Karabakh and the separatist regime surrendered by raising a white flag and promised to fulfill all conditions of Azerbaijan.

Thus, with the latest anti-terrorist measures, the presence of separatists in Karabakh was ended and Azerbaijan regained its sovereignty in all liberated territories.

A chronology of the liberation of residential areas and heights from the occupation during the Patriotic War: