Three years pass since Tovuz battles

Today is the third anniversary of the Tovuz battles.

Report informs that starting from midday on July 12, 2020, Armenian armed forces rudely violated the ceasefire to capture positions in the Tovuz direction of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border and committed the next military provocation to increase tension, firing at our positions using large-caliber machine guns, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, mortars, and other artillery mounts.

During the battles, which lasted for several days, the attempt at the offensive was averted, and the enemy was dealt a devastating blow.

As a result of the retaliatory measures, the enemy sustained huge losses and was forced to retreat. The Azerbaijani army terminated up to 100 units of manpower, a significant number of military hardware, and strategic objects of the enemy.

The tension in the direction of Tovuz continued on the night of July 13. During the night battles, with the use of artillery, mortars, and tanks, the base station, artillery installations, vehicles, and manpower of the opposing side were destroyed in the territory of the military unit with the precise fire of the Azerbaijan Army. But the enemy tried to hide its losses. On the same day, heavy artillery units were launched again in the direction of Tovuz. During the battle, Armenian artillery shelled Dondar Gushchu and Aghdam villages in Tovuz with cannons.

The Tovuz battles continued on July 14. Thus, starting from the morning of July 14, the enemy fired at Aghdam and Alibayli villages of the Tovuz district with large-caliber weapons and artillery devices. Major-General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzayev, and five other military personnel were martyred as a result of the enemy's provocative attack. As a result of Armenian attacks, 76-year-old Aziz Azizov, a resident of Agdam village of the district, was killed.

In the evening of that day, the fighting subsided and there was relative calm on the front. Although the clashes subsided on July 15, the fighting started again in the morning of July 16. On that day, a serviceman of the Azerbaijan Army was martyred. A large number of enemy soldiers and equipment were destroyed.

The battles of Tovuz ended on July 17 with the victory of the Azerbaijani Army and there was no loss of territory. Thus, 12 military personnel of the Azerbaijan Army - Major General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzayev, Major Namig Ahmadov, Major Anar Novruzov, Senior Lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov, Ensign Ilgar Zeynalli, Ensign Yashar Babayev, Sergeant Vugar Sadigov, extended army serviceman, senior soldier Elshad Mammadov, extended army serviceman, soldier Elchin Mustafazade, extended army serviceman, soldier Nazim Ismayilov and soldier Khayyam Dashdamirov were heroically martyred.

During the Tovuz battles, mass actions were held in support of the Azerbaijani army. On July 14, thousands of people marched in support of the Armed Forces and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in Baku. Tens of thousands of young people who responded to the appeal of President Ilham Aliyev turned to the departments of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription for Military Service, where they were registered, expressing a desire to volunteer to the front.

The 5-day Tovuz battles that ended in victory paved the way for the liberation of Azerbaijani lands, which had been under occupation for many years. In August, the commander of the sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armenian armed forces, senior lieutenant Gurgen Alaverdyan, born in 1989. was detained as a result of activities carried out by the Azerbaijani army.

On September 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani Army launched counter-offensive operations against enemy provocations. As a result of the 44-day Patriotic War, the territories of Azerbaijan, which had been under occupation for about 30 years, were liberated.

By the orders of President Ilham Aliyev dated December 9, 2020, Polad Hashimov and Ilgar Mirzayev were awarded the title of national heroes of Azerbaijan.

To eliminate the damage caused to the civilian population in the villages of Aghdam, Dondar Gushchu, Vakhidli, Alibeyli, Yukhara Oysuzlu and Ashagi Oysuzlu of the Tovuz district as a result of intensive shelling by Armenia, 1 million manats were allocated to the Ministry of Emergency Situations from the reserve fund of the President of Azerbaijan, provided for in the state budget for 2020. The houses and other objects destroyed by the enemy in Tovuz were restored.