Azerbaijan marks 31st anniversary of Dashalti operation in Karabakh

Today marks the 31st anniversary of the Dashalti operation by the Azerbaijani army.

The operation, which aimed to liberate Dashalti village, began on January 25, 1992, and ended in failure on the evening of January 26, Caliber.Az reports.

Some 200 soldiers from the Shikhov battalion were tasked to implement the operation. It was led by former Defence Minister Tajaddin Mehdiyev.

Under the first plan, the platoon had to pass through Nabilar village, climb to the Gizilgaya height and from there block the road leading from Dashalti to Signakh village. According to the second plan, the platoon was to block the road leading from Dashalti to Shushakand village.

Adverse weather conditions, a lack of communication between platoons, the leakage of secret information about the operation, and the betrayal of the guides all contributed to the operation's failure.

The platoon that entered Dashalti was ambushed. The other platoons also suffered losses and were forced to retreat.

During the unsuccessful operation, the Azerbaijani army lost 90 people. Armenians also suffered losses, 80 Armenian soldiers were killed during the battle.

As a result of successful counter-offensive operations conducted by the Azerbaijani army, starting from September 27, 2020, the lands that Armenia had held under occupation for many years were liberated.

On November 9, 2020, the Azerbaijani army liberated Dashalti village, which had been under the control of Armenian armed formations since 1991. After 28 years, retribution came for the Dashalti operation.

After liberation, mass graves were discovered in the once-occupied Azerbaijani lands. One of these graves was discovered on February 17, 2021, on the Dashalti village's territory, and the remains of seven people were extracted from there.

As a result of the gross violation of the Geneva Conventions by the Armenian Armed Forces in 1988-1994 and 3,890 people went missing. Of these, 3,171 are military personnel, and 719 are civilians. Some 872 missing persons are reported to be captured. Of the 1,480 released from captivity, 378 were military personnel and 1,102 were civilians. Among the civilians are 224 children, 357 women, and 225 old people. Of the 552 killed in captivity, 447 were men and 105 were women.

The mass graves of people shot with their hands and feet tied, found in Dashalti village, are direct evidence of the war crimes committed by the Armenians.

President Ilham Aliyev visited Dashalti village on March 16, 2021. The head of state said that our army rose from Dashalti village, overcame steep cliffs and entered Shusha.

On April 21, 2022, in the Shusha district's Dashalti village, the head of state familiarized himself with the construction of the Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway. On the same day, President Ilham Aliyev gave instructions to restore the village.

On November 7, 2021, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva laid the foundation of a mosque in Dashalti village.