Baku: Five years have passed since the liberation of Kalbajar from occupation, APA reports. The counter-offensive operation of the Azerbaijani Army against Armenian forces, which began on September 27, 2020, culminated in victory on November 9, 2020. During the 44-day Patriotic War, the Azerbaijani Army freed over 300 settlements and seized strategic positions in the Agdere, Murovdag, and Zangilan areas.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Armenia conceded defeat following the liberation of Shusha, leading to the signing of a surrender act on November 8. A subsequent statement was signed on November 10 by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The sixth paragraph of this statement facilitated the return of the Kalbajar region to Azerbaijan.
Initially, the statement set November 15 as the deadline for Kalbajar’s return. However, Armenia requested an additional 10 days’ grace through Russian mediation, which Azerbaijan granted out of humanitarian considerations. Consequently, Kalbajar was officially returned to Azerbaijan on November 25, 2020, ending its 27-year occupation.
During the extended period, departing Armenians reportedly engaged in plundering and environmental destruction, including the burning of properties and felling of trees. They also planted mines in various parts of the region. On June 4, 2021, such mines claimed the lives of journalists and a local official when a vehicle hit an anti-tank mine in Susuzlug village, resulting in three fatalities and four injuries.
The Aghdam district was returned to Azerbaijan on November 20, 2020, and the Lachin district followed on December 1, as stipulated in the tripartite statement. Azerbaijan achieved the liberation of Agdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin without incurring any casualties.
President Ilham Aliyev addressed the nation on November 25, 2020, celebrating the liberation of Kalbajar. To honor this milestone, Azerbaijan established the “For the Freedom of Kalbajar” medal, awarded to servicemen who demonstrated valor in the region’s liberation, as per the order of President Aliyev.
Kalbajar fell under Armenian control on April 2, 1993. During that time, Armenian forces inflicted significant damage on Kalbajar’s infrastructure and cultural sites, including the destruction of historical, cultural, and religious monuments and cemeteries.