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Azerbaijan marks second anniversary of the liberation of Kalbajar from occupation

25 November 2022 00:00 (UTC +04:00)

Two years have passed since the liberation of Kalbajar from occupation, APA reports.

The counter-offensive operation of the Azerbaijani Army against the Armenian aggression that began on September 27, 2020, ended in Victory on November 9, 2020.
In 44 days of the Patriotic War, the Azerbaijani Army liberated more than 300 settlements from occupation, as well as important strategic heights in the Agdeen, Murovdag, and Zangilan directions.

On November 8, Armenia, realizing its defeat in the war after the liberation of Shusha from the occupation, was forced to sign an act of surrender.

On November 10, a Statement was signed between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. According to the 6th paragraph of the Statement, the Kalbajar region was returned to Azerbaijan.

Despite the fact that the statement provided for the return of Kalbajar by November 15, the Armenians, through the mediation of Russia, asked Azerbaijan for 10 days to leave the region. Azerbaijan, guided by the principles of humanism, made a concession and gave the Armenians 10 days. On November 25, 2020, the Kalbajar region was returned to Azerbaijan.

Thus, the 27-year occupation of Kalbajar was ended.

However, during the 10-day reprieve, Armenians true to their nature, plundering houses, buildings, and structures, burning them, cutting down trees, and resorting to environmental terror while leaving the region they had occupied for 27 years. They also buried infantry and anti-tank mines in various areas of the region and at road crossings before leaving Kalbajar. As a result of this, on June 4, 2021, a vehicle carrying journalists in the Kalbajar region's village of Susuzlug hit an anti-tank mine, killing correspondent of the Azerbaijan State News Agency Maharram Ibrahimov, operator of Azerbaijan Television Siraj Abishov, and representative of the district executive power Arif Aliyev and four people were injured.

Notably, the Aghdam district was returned to Azerbaijan under paragraph 2 of the tripartite Statement on November 20, 2020, and the Lachin district was returned to Azerbaijan under paragraph 6 on December 1.

Azerbaijan succeeded in liberating the occupied regions of Agdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin with no casualties.

President Ilham Aliyev congratulated the people of Azerbaijan for the liberation of the Kalbajar district from occupation in his televised address on November 25, 2020.

The medal "For the freedom of Kalbajar" was established in the Republic of Azerbaijan to commemorate the liberation of Kalbajar from occupation.

Servicemen who demonstrated personal heroism and bravery by engaging in combat operations to liberate Kalbajar from occupation were awarded the medal "for the liberation of Kalbajar" by the Order of President Ilham Aliyev.

Noted that the Kalbajar region was occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces on April 2, 1993.

During the occupation, Armenia plundered and destroyed the city of Kalbajar and settlements of the region, and wiped out historical, cultural, and religious monuments and cemeteries.