Aghdam's Kangarli village welcomes Azerbaijani families with keys to new homes PHOTO / UPDATED

Keys to new homes have been handed over to former internally displaced persons who have returned to the village of Kangarli in the Aghdam District.

Thus, 48 Azerbaijani families – a total of 206 people – have been resettled in the revitalised village as part of the ongoing state program for the return of IDPs to liberated territories, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

09:22

Another group of former internally displaced persons are returning to the village of Kangarli in Azerbaijan’s Aghdam District, as part of the government’s ongoing resettlement initiative in the liberated territories.

As many as 48 families — totalling 206 individuals — are heading back to their homeland in this latest stage of the programme, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

These individuals had been living in temporary shelters such as dormitories, sanatoriums, children’s camps, and various unfinished or repurposed administrative buildings.

Their return was enabled by Azerbaijan’s decisive military victory in the 2020 Second Karabakh War, led by President Ilham Aliyev in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The successful campaign has allowed displaced families to return voluntarily, safely and with dignity after nearly 30 years away.

The returnees expressed deep gratitude to President Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for their sustained support. Many also paid tribute to the Azerbaijani Armed Forces for the liberation of occupied territories, offering prayers for the souls of fallen soldiers and good health to wounded veterans.

Among those returning, Chichek Babaeva shared her emotions ahead of the journey:
“I pray to the Almighty to grant our President a long life. He gave us this precious chance to return home,” she said. Babaeva also offered prayers for the martyrs and expressed her appreciation to the veterans who made the return possible.

Rahila Poladova, another returnee from Kangarli, said she plans to resume farming:
“I was born in the Aghdam District and moved to Kangarli after marrying. It’s a beautiful village with fertile land and excellent conditions for agriculture,” she said, thanking the President for enabling their return.

Gara Samadov, who is returning with his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, called it a long-awaited homecoming:
“After so many years, we’re finally going back to our village. May Allah rest the souls of our martyrs and give strength to our veterans. I hope to visit Shusha again, pay respects at the graves of loved ones, and see my old school,” he said.

Currently, more than 40,000 people — including former IDPs and civil servants — live in Karabakh and East Zangezur. This population also includes professionals engaged in healthcare, education, culture, tourism, industry and energy, as activity across sectors resumes in the region.

It is worth noting that on May 23, another group of 49 families (232 individuals) also returned to Kangarli. With the latest arrivals, the village’s permanent population has now reached 693 people across 157 families.

By Aghakazim Guliyev