Aghdam's Kangarli welcomes back displaced families with ceremonial key handover PHOTO / UPDATED

A new group of former internally displaced families has returned to the village of Kangarli in Azerbaijan’s Aghdam district, where they were presented with keys to their new private homes.

According to local media, a total of 40 families, comprising 154 individuals, have now resettled in their ancestral region, Caliber.Az reports.

The key handover ceremony included participation from officials representing the Special Presidential Representative for the Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Khojavand districts, alongside members of the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.

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Another group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) has returned to their native village of Kangarli in Azerbaijan’s Aghdam district, in line with President Ilham Aliyev’s instructions under the national resettlement programme.

The returning families had spent decades in temporary accommodation across the country, including dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings, after being forced to flee their homes during the early 1990s due to the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Caliber.Az reports.

This latest phase saw the resettlement of 40 families — comprising a total of 154 people — back to Kangarli, a village that had remained uninhabited for nearly three decades.

The return of civilians to the region has been made possible thanks to Azerbaijan’s military victory in the 2020 Second Karabakh War. Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Azerbaijan regained control over large swaths of territory previously under occupation, paving the way for displaced communities to return voluntarily and safely.

Currently, more than 43,000 people are living in Karabakh and East Zangezur. This number includes not only returnees but also professionals involved in rebuilding efforts, such as state institution employees, healthcare and education workers, as well as staff in the fields of energy, industry, culture, and tourism.

The resettled families have voiced deep appreciation to President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for their ongoing support of the return process. Many also expressed profound respect and gratitude to the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, remembering the sacrifices of fallen soldiers and offering prayers for wounded veterans.

Among the returnees was Ismail Baghirov, a former IDP from Kangarli, who shared his emotional reflections just before his journey home.

“We endured 32 years of hardship, but now the difficult days are behind us,” Baghirov said. “Praise be to God, I have lived to see this day. Returning to the village where I was born and raised is a feeling beyond words. I express my heartfelt thanks to our Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Ilham Aliyev, and our heroic soldiers and officers who made this day possible. May Allah rest the souls of our martyrs and grant healing to our wounded veterans.”

Young returnees also shared their dreams and hopes for the future. Among them was 13-year-old Zeynab Abbasova, a former IDP preparing to return to Kangarli.

She said: “I want to continue my secondary education and obtain a higher education in the liberated territories. I plan to stay in Aghdam and work as a doctor.”

Zeynab proudly noted that the Azerbaijani flag now flies over all the lands liberated from occupation. “I am very happy to be returning home with my family. I thank our army, which, under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief President Ilham Aliyev, liberated our lands from occupation. May Allah rest the souls of the martyrs and grant health to the veterans,” she added.

By Tamilla Hasanova