Azerbaijan marks fifth anniversary of Tovuz clashes Turning point on road to liberation

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Tovuz clashes, which ended in a victory for the Azerbaijani Army.

As Caliber.Az recalls, beginning at noon on July 12, 2020, units of the Armenian Armed Forces grossly violated the ceasefire by launching another military provocation on the Tovuz section of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, aiming to capture strategic positions. They attacked Azerbaijani positions using heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, mortars, and other artillery systems.

However, this provocation was thwarted. The enemy’s strongholds were destroyed, and hundreds of Armenian servicemen were eliminated.

On the first day of the Tovuz clashes, three servicemen of the Azerbaijani Army—Contract Sergeant Vugar Sadigov, Senior Private Elshad Mammadov, and Private Khayyam Dashdamirov—became martyrs while repelling the enemy provocation. Five others were wounded, one of whom later died from his injuries. The Armenian army suffered heavy personnel losses.

Tensions in the Tovuz direction persisted into the night of July 13. During the overnight battles involving artillery, mortars, and tanks, Azerbaijani forces, using precise fire, destroyed an enemy stronghold, artillery units, vehicles, and personnel stationed at a military facility. The enemy attempted to conceal its losses. On the same day, heavy artillery systems were once again deployed in the Tovuz direction. During the clashes, Armenian artillery shelled the Azerbaijani villages of Dondar Gushchu and Aghdam in the Tovuz region.

Starting on the morning of July 14, the enemy shelled the villages of Aghdam and Alibeyli in the Tovuz district using heavy artillery and large-calibre weapons. As a result of this treacherous attack, Major General Polad Hashimov and Colonel Ilgar Mirzayev of the Azerbaijani Army were killed, along with five other servicemen. A civilian resident of Aghdam village, 76-year-old Aziz Azizov, was also killed by Armenian shelling.

By the evening of that day, the fighting subsided, and relative calm was established along the frontline. Although the clashes ceased on July 15, fighting resumed again on the morning of July 16, resulting in the martyrdom of another Azerbaijani serviceman. A significant number of enemy personnel and military equipment were destroyed that day.

The Tovuz clashes concluded with a victory for the Azerbaijani Army on July 17, without any territorial losses. Twelve Azerbaijani servicemen were martyred during the fighting: Major General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzayev, Major Namig Ahmadov, Major Anar Novruzov, Senior Lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov, Warrant Officer Ilgar Zeynalov, Warrant Officer Yashar Babayev, Contract Private Elchin Mustafazade, Contract Sergeant Vugar Sadigov, Contract Private Nazim Ismayilov, Senior Private Elshad Mammadov, and Private Khayyam Dashdamirov. They heroically sacrificed their lives in the defence of their homeland.

During the Tovuz clashes, mass rallies were held across the country in support of the Azerbaijani Army. On July 14, a massive march took place in Baku in support of the Armed Forces and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Citizens of Azerbaijan stood firmly with the national army and their commander-in-chief. Tens of thousands of young people responded to the call of President Ilham Aliyev by reporting to the State Service for Mobilisation and Conscription, where they were registered, expressing their willingness to voluntarily join the combat zone.

The five-day Tovuz battles, which ended in victory, paved the way for the eventual liberation of Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, held under Armenian control for decades.

In August, the commander of a sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces, Senior Lieutenant Gurgen Alaverdyan (born in 1989), was captured as a result of operations conducted by the Azerbaijani Army.

On September 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani Army launched a counteroffensive operation in response to enemy provocations. As a result of the 44-day Patriotic War, Azerbaijani territories that had been under occupation for nearly 30 years were liberated.

By presidential decrees issued on December 9, 2020, Polad Hashimov and Ilgar Mirzayev were posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan.

To compensate for the damage inflicted on the civilian population in the villages of Aghdam, Dondar Gushchu, Vahidli, Alibeyli, Yukhari Oysuzlu, and Ashagi Oysuzlu of the Tovuz district due to intense shelling by Armenian forces, 1 million manats were allocated from the Presidential Reserve Fund, as stipulated in the 2020 state budget. The homes and other facilities destroyed by the enemy in Tovuz were subsequently restored.