Karabakh War II-44 Days ‘War

(27 September-10 November 2020)

Background:
Armenia had territorial claims on the historical lands of Azerbaijan and launched military attacks
against our country. Armenia occupied about 20 % of Azerbaijan because of the First Karabakh
War which was between 1988 and 1994 and ended by signing the Bishkek protocol. In total,
Azerbaijan lost more than 11 500 soldiers and more than 1 million Azerbaijanis became
refugees.
The nearly 30-year-long negotiation process on eliminating the consequences of military
aggression against Azerbaijan and fulfilling UN Security Council Resolutions 822, 853, 874, and
884 was not efficient due to the Armenian position.
The purpose was to implement UN Security Council resolutions that demanded the unconditional
withdrawal of occupying forces from Azerbaijani territory. The peace process was severely
shaken by populist statements by Nikol Pashinyan, who came to power in Armenia after the
color revolution of 2018.
In the long period after the ceasefire, Armenia resorted to countless provocations on the front
line, firing on Azerbaijani soldiers and civilians. Azerbaijan has always brought these actions to
the attention of the international community and demonstrated a tolerant position.

In June 2010, Mubariz Ibrahimov went into battle with Armenians alone and was able to destroy
a large number of enemies. By the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev, Mubariz Ibrahimov was named "National Hero of Azerbaijan".

April battles
During the night and day of April 1-2, 2016, the positions and residential areas of Azerbaijan
were once again subjected to strong artillery fire by the Armenian armed forces.
The command of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces decided to carry out immediate countermeasures
to prevent this attack.
As a result of the battle, the heights around the village of Talysh and Seysulan territories were
liberated. The strategically important Lalatapa, which is in the direction of the Fuzuli region and
provides the opportunity to keep a large area under control, also came under the control of the
Azerbaijani army. The safety of Chochug Marjanli village of Jabrayil district was ensured. As a
result of the appeals of international organizations and its own peaceful policy, the state of
Azerbaijan unilaterally stopped military operations.
Tovuz battles
On July 12, 2020, the Armenian armed forces resorted to provocation in the direction of the
Tovuz region of the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border. The main goal of the enemy was to
capture the strategic heights located on the border and keep the international oil and gas pipelines
from Azerbaijan to Georgia under fire control.
General Polad Hashimov, Ilgar Mirzayev and several of our fighters who came to the front line
to prevent enemy provocations were heroically martyred.
The military "strategists" of Armenia, who did not draw any conclusions from the defeat in the
battles of Tovuz, did not stop their provocations.
War begins.
In August 2020, a reconnaissance-sabotage group trying to cross the contact line in the territory
of Karabakh was neutralized because of the vigilance of our military. The leader of the group
was captured. All these events indicated that Armenia was preparing for a new war.
On the order of the Commander-in-Chief, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched a counter-
attack operation at 6:00 a.m. on September 27. With this, the 44-day long Patriotic War, written
in golden letters in our history, began. The Azerbaijani army started implementing the plan
named "Iron Fist" in the Second Karabakh War.
The dominance of Azerbaijan, the liberation of occupied areas
In the battles that followed, Azerbaijan advanced rapidly. Initially liberating several villages and
strategic bridges, its forces had liberated Karabakh’s southern border with Iran by 22 October
and they began moving towards the Lachin Corridor on 23 October. This corridor was the only
highway connecting Armenia with Karabakh; control of it would prevent Armenia from
replenishing fuel, ammunition, and military reinforcements. Until then, Azerbaijan had put the
Armenian army under daytime attack from conventional artillery, mortars, and even direct fire
and guided missiles to halt their military convoys. Azerbaijan National Army liberated these
areas from invasion:
 Jabrayil was on 4 October
 Fuzuli on 17 October
 Zangilan on 20 October
 Gubadli on 25 October
 Shusha on 8 November
The operation to liberate Shusha from occupation will be forever in the annals of history. The
heart of Karabakh - Shusha is a natural fortification, so it was impossible to enter the city with
tanks or other heavy weaponry. There were two options to take it. Firstly, to defeat the enemy’s
forces in the city by air strikes and artillery fire. Azerbaijan’s military command did not choose
that way, due to the inevitably extensive destruction of the city that would result. The alternative
was hand-to-hand combat, and this was the strategy adopted.
Our soldiers traversed thick forests and deep ravines with light weapons, climbed rocks and
mountains and defeated the enemy in face-to-face battle. On 8 November, Ilham Aliyev made a
speech on Shusha’s liberation.
Capitulation
The liberation of Shusha, in fact, decided the fate of the war. The next day came news that more
than seventy villages had been liberated, and one day later Prime Minister Pashinyan was forced
to sign an act of capitulation, accepting the terms of the President of Azerbaijan.
 From November 10, 2020, a complete cessation of fire and all military operations in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone is announced.
 The Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia remain in their positions.
 Until November 20, 2020, Aghdam region is returned to the Republic of Azerbaijan.
 A peacekeeping contingent consisting of armed military personnel of the Russian
Federation, military armored vehicles, vehicles, and special equipment is stationed along
the contact line and the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh.
 The peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is deployed in parallel with the
withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces. The term of stay of the peacekeeping
contingent of the Russian Federation is 5 years, and if one of the Parties does not declare
its intention to terminate the application of this provision 6 months before the end of the
term, it is automatically extended for the next 5-year periods.
 To increase the efficiency of control over the compliance of the parties to the conflict, a
peacekeeping center for monitoring the ceasefire is established.
 The Republic of Armenia returns Kalbajar district to the Republic of Azerbaijan by
November 15, 2020, and Lachin district by December 1, 2020. The Lachin Corridor (5
km wide), which will ensure the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia
and will not touch the city of Shusha, remains under the control of the Russian
peacekeeping contingent.
 Based on the agreement of the parties, a plan for the construction of a new traffic route
along the Lachin corridor, which ensures the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and
Armenia, will be determined within the next three years, and thereby the future relocation
of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is planned for the protection of the safe route.
 The Republic of Azerbaijan guarantees the safety of the movement of citizens, vehicles
and cargo in both directions along the Lachin Corridor
 Internally displaced persons and refugees return to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and
surrounding regions under the supervision of the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees.
 Prisoners of war, hostages, and other detained persons, as well as bodies, are exchanged.
 All economic and transport links in the region are restored. The Republic of Armenia
guarantees the safety of transport links between the western regions of the Republic of
Azerbaijan and the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan in order to organize the
unhindered movement of citizens, vehicles and cargo in both directions. The control over
the transport connection is carried out by the authorities of the Border Service of the
Federal Security Service of Russia.
Reasons for victory
In contrast to the period of the first Karabakh war, the country's economy has developed rapidly,
the Republic of Azerbaijan has surpassed Armenia in all indicators.
In the course of the Patriotic War, Turkey, Pakistan, Israel, Ukraine, Georgia, Afghanistan and
several other countries declared that Azerbaijan was the rightful party in this war and recognized
its territorial integrity. In particular, the moral and political support of Turkey and the numerous
visits of high-ranking state officials to Azerbaijan during the war played an indispensable role in
the diplomatic struggle.
The leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran issued a statement that Azerbaijan was the rightful
party only on November 3, after the fate of the Patriotic War was largely clarified.
One of the main directions of the successful foreign policy of our country is to actively
participate in the work of the Non-Aligned Movement organization and establish close
cooperative relations with member countries of this organization. Since 2019, Azerbaijan chaired
the Non-Aligned Movement organization. Thanks to the principled position shown by these
countries, the UN Security Council prevented the adoption of a draft resolution that was not in
line with the interests of our country during the Patriotic War.
A professional army equipped with the most modern weapons was formed. After Ilham Aliyev
was elected as the President in 2003, more attention was paid to the building of the army, and a
new military doctrine was adopted.
The creation of the Special Forces and constant improvement of its professionalism also played
an important role in the course of the Patriotic War. Participating in training and military
competitions in different countries, our Special Forces have brilliantly demonstrated the qualities
of fighting in difficult mountainous terrain.
Correctly chosen tactics and strategy also played an important role in the victory over the enemy,
as well as in the fact that our losses were less compared to the enemy.
;/In the first days of the war, our Air Force applied a new tactic in the history of the world
military: in order to reveal and destroy the Air Attack Defense systems deployed by the enemy in
the territory of Karabakh, AN (Antonov 2) aircrafts, which were old and cheap drones, were
launched into the air. These aircraft adapted for military purposes were used as false targets. The
enemy, considering these to be real warplanes, fired at the "target". Thus, the enemy's air defense
systems were revealed. The discovered firing points were destroyed by UAVs (Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles) named "Bayraktar TB-2" purchased from Turkey, "Harop" manufactured by Israel, and
"Zarbe" manufactured locally by Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan destroyed $1 billion worth of Armenian military equipment with the Bayraktar TB2
drones alone. They were used to deliver precise strikes on enemy equipment and manpower, as
well as direct artillery fire.

Results of the war

According to information from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense, its armed forces incurred
losses of around 3000 service personnel in the war. This number may increase following DNA
analysis of other bodies and inquiries into the fates of more than 100 personnel still missing. The
wounded are being treated in medical facilities. The Armenian side confirms losses of 4500
service personnel during the war.
The value of military equipment destroyed or captured by the Azerbaijani army is estimated at a
minimum of $3.8 billion. War trophies seized by Azerbaijan from Armenia are held in Military
Trophy Park which was opened after the victory.
Victory Day on November 8 and Remembrance Day on September 27 were established.
• The President signed a Decree on the creation of the "YASHAT" Fund to support the support
of the families of the injured and martyrs in connection with the protection of the territorial
integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
In January 2021, the Karabakh Revival Fund was established.
Anti -terror operation in Nagorno Karabakh in 2023
There were mine explosions in the territory of Khojavand district, and as a result, 9 people,
including the policemen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, lost their lives a few hours ago
counter offensive attacks by Azerbaijan.
Between 19 and 20 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive against
the self-declared breakaway state of Artsakh. The offensive took place in the disputed region
of Karabakh, which is de jure a part of Azerbaijan, and was a de facto independent republic. The
stated goal of the offensive was the complete disarmament and unconditional surrender of
Artsakh, as well as the withdrawal of all ethnic Armenian soldiers present in the region. The
offensive occurred during an escalating crisis caused by Azerbaijan blockading, which has
resulted in significant scarcities of essential supplies such as food, medicine, and other goods in
the affected region.
One day after the offensive started on 20 September, a ceasefire agreement described as a written
agreement for the surrender of Artsakh was reached at the mediation of the Russian
peacekeeping contingent where it was agreed that the Armenian armed forces of Artsakh would
be disarmed.
After the fighting ended on 21 September, Azerbaijan opened the border for the first time in
months to allow people to leave, and tens of thousands of Armenians began to flee out of the
Lachin corridor as part of a large flight of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. On 24 September,
Azerbaijan opened the Lachin corridor for residents of Nagorno-Karabakh to travel one-way to
Armenia despite its ongoing blockade.

Some of the other nations sacrificed their lives fighting in Karabakh war. One of them was
Albert Agharunov, officer, Jewish who was killed in Shusha and became National Hero of
Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani Jews settled here from the ancient times. Part of them are the descendants of the
Khazars, the Turkic tribes who were professing Judaism

The other one was Dmitri Solntsev (guy with the sunny surname!). Dima was Russian who died
in the II Karabakh war.
Russians settlements appeared in Azerbaijan in early XIX c. The settled in Shirvan ( Ivanovka)
and Gedabey ( Slavyanka).