Today marks the first anniversary of the liberation of the Aghdam district from the occupation of the Armenian Armed Forces.
Aghdam district was returned to Azerbaijan on November 20 following the tripartite statement signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 10, 2020.
Aghdam was occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces on July 23, 1993. About 846 sq. km. (77.4%), of Aghdam, located in the center of Karabakh, i.e. 1 city and 80 villages fell into the hands of Armenians. Twenty-six out of 38 collective and state farms, 105 out of 129 healthcare facilities, 74 out of 108 schools, 199 out of 271 houses of culture, 24 construction organizations, 67 enterprises, and 14 out of 17 mosques of the district were occupied. As a result of the Armenian occupation, Agdam suffered over $13.1 billion in damage. The city of Aghdam, its numerous historical monuments, cultural and architectural sites, and the Bread Museum, the first in the former USSR and the second in the world, were savagely destroyed by the enemy.
Aghdam gave 6,000 martyrs in battles with the enemy; 16 of them are National Heroes of Azerbaijan. As a result of the occupation, 143,000 out of 160,000 residents of the district became IDPs in their country. At present, Aghdam has a population of more than 204,000. About 160,000 of them are IDPs.
The withdrawal of the occupying Armenian Armed Forces from Aghdam was possible thanks to the political leadership and commanding skills of the President of Azerbaijan, victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, and successful military operations of the Azerbaijani Army in the Great Patriotic War.
Thus, on September 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani Army, which prevented the provocation of the Armenian Armed Forces on the frontline, counterattacked and liberated several regions, hundreds of villages and settlements, strategic heights from the enemy. The 44-day Patriotic War, which resulted in the hoisting of the Azerbaijani tricolor flag in the liberated cities, villages and settlements, ended with the victory of the Azerbaijani Army. The occupying Armenian forces could not withstand the irreversible attack of the Azerbaijani Army and retreated with significant losses. At the same time, thousands of enemy troops and military equipment were destroyed. The military-political leadership of Armenia, realizing the futility of resisting the Azerbaijani Army, was forced to sign a capitulation document.
Thus, all military operations in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone were completely stopped on November 10, 2020. According to the second paragraph of the statement, the Aghdam district was to be returned to Azerbaijan by November 20, 2020. Thus, the city of Aghdam, which had been under occupation for 27 years, was liberated from the invaders. On the same day, units of the Azerbaijani Army entered the district and the Azerbaijani flag was raised there.
According to the relevant decrees signed by President Ilham Aliyev on December 29, 2020, and June 24, 2021, a group of servicemen was awarded the medal "For the liberation of Agdam" for their personal courage and bravery in the operations to liberate the city from occupation.
On November 23, 2020, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the liberated city of Aghdam. The head of state raised the tricolor flag of Azerbaijan in Agdam. In Aghdam, which was liberated after 27 years, our national flag is now proudly waving. Every Azerbaijani watches these images with pride and great joy. There is no trace of the prosperous city, which was once a hot life, built by hardworking people. In accordance with their characteristics, the Armenian invaders turned the white roofs of Aghdam (Aghdam means white roof in Azerbaijani) into ruins and destroyed the city.
During the visit, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the Aghdam Mosque. The mosque with a double minaret, which became a place of hope and refuge for the survivors of the Khojaly genocide, was also savagely destroyed by the enemy. President Ilham Aliyev donated the Holy Quran he brought from Mecca to the Aghdam mosque.
