Great Return: Returnees get keys to new homes in Zangilan's Mammadbayli village PHOTO

Keys to new apartments have been handed over to families arriving in the village of Mammadbayli in Azerbaijan’s Zangilan district, per local media.

09:06

Thirty families comprising 144 people have returned to the restored village of Mammadbayli in the Zangilan district, marking the latest phase of Azerbaijan’s ongoing “Great Return” initiative to the territories liberated from occupation.

The families had previously been temporarily accommodated in various parts of the country, including dormitories, sanatoriums and administrative buildings, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The returnees expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for the state’s comprehensive support, and voiced appreciation for the Azerbaijani Army, whose soldiers and officers liberated the lands. They also prayed for the souls of the martyrs who gave their lives for this cause.

“Returning to our homeland is a truly wonderful feeling,” said Kifayat Heydarova, a former internally displaced person who has moved back to Mammadbayli. She added that her joy “knows no bounds.”

“We return to the village of Mammadbayli with happiness and a smile. May Allah protect our state, grant peace to the souls of our martyrs, and give good health to our veterans,” she said.

By Khagan Isayev