'They chose honor over surrender': Heroes of Khojavand operation remembered

The graves of Azerbaijani intelligence officers who heroically perished during the 1997 Khojavand operation were visited at the Second Alley of Honor in Baku.

According to Report, the memorial visit brought together members of the media, civil society, and the families of the fallen, paying tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the servicemen.

On April 7, 1997, two Azerbaijani reconnaissance teams carried out a covert mission deep into enemy-held territory in the Khojavand district, which was under occupation at the time. The first team returned safely.

The second team, consisting of 8 soldiers — including team leader Lieutenant Elkhan Aghayev, Lieutenant Vugar Yarahmadov, and Sergeants Anar Rzayev, Dinar Mustafayev, Agshin Hasanov, Nizami Alakparov, and Fariz Javadov — encountered enemy forces on their return. Surrounded and vastly outnumbered, they refused to surrender and engaged in a fierce last stand.

After running out of ammunition, the seven soldiers chose to end their own lives with grenades rather than be taken captive. Only one member of the team, Sergeant Aqil Ahmadov, survived — severely wounded and unconscious, he was captured and later sentenced to death by Armenian authorities.

Ahmadov was freed in 1999 through the personal efforts of then-President Heydar Aliyev.

The remains of the fallen heroes were returned six months after the operation and buried with full honors. All were posthumously awarded the prestigious Order of the Azerbaijani Flag.