Hero of "Hadrut operation": Azerbaijani Army proved its might Milestones of victory

Four years ago, on October 9, the village of Hadrut in the Khojavand district was liberated from Armenian occupation, marking a key victory in the 44-day Patriotic War.

Hadrut, nestled in the Gozluchay valley and surrounded by the forests of Mount Ergunesh, was a critical strategic point, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Its liberation, amid challenging mountainous terrain, was one of the Azerbaijani Army’s most significant achievements, with intense battles beginning on October 7, 2020.

During the war, Armenian forces concentrated their main troops in Hadrut, knowing that losing it would make their defeat inevitable. They anticipated an attack from the flatlands of Fuzuli, but a skillfully executed plan by the Azerbaijani Army caught them off guard. Azerbaijani special forces, along with other units, crossed the 1,468-meter-high Mount Ergunesh and launched the renowned “Hadrut operation,” ultimately defeating the Armenian forces after several days of fierce fighting.

One of the Azerbaijani servicemen, who displayed immense courage during the operation, shared his experience: “We first entered the dense forest surrounding Mount Ergunesh and waited until evening. Then we descended into the valley and climbed up. Moving at night was safer and more tactical. The enemy couldn’t observe us easily. We coordinated with special forces, but soon the fighting began. I was wounded in both the shoulder and leg. We lost comrades in the heavy combat — may Allah have mercy on them. But our resolve remained unbroken. We fought until the very end, and Hadrut was finally liberated.”

Another commando, a veteran of the Patriotic War and anti-terror operations, expressed his great pride in having contributed to the liberation of the homeland’s lands after 30 years of occupation: “By overcoming obstacles the enemy never imagined, we reclaimed the lands they had fortified for three decades. We paid with our blood and determination. This operation showed the world what the Azerbaijani Army is truly capable of — there is no task beyond our reach.”

Military expert Azer Bayramov emphasised the global significance of the Hadrut operation, explaining that it is now studied in military centres worldwide. “Despite the Armenian forces outnumbering ours in Hadrut, our soldiers accomplished their mission with great dignity and defeated the enemy. The Armenian side had perpetuated a myth that while the Azerbaijani Army could fight in flat terrain, it couldn’t succeed in mountainous conditions. The Hadrut battles shattered this myth. Our soldiers demonstrated they can accomplish any task, regardless of the conditions.”

The psychological blow dealt to the Armenian forces was immense. The liberation of Hadrut not only decimated the enemy’s manpower and equipment but also marked a crucial step on the path to the ultimate victory in Shusha.

By Tamilla Hasanova