Revival of Azerbaijan’s Sugovushan underway with return of 20 families PHOTO

On March 19, twenty families are set to return to their ancestral village of Sugovushan, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing reconstruction efforts. In total, 180 families, comprising 591 individuals, are slated to return, with the first group of twenty families resettling in their newly reconstructed homes today.

Afat Telmangizi, the spokesperson for the Restoration, Construction, and Management Service in Khankandi city, Aghdam, and Khojaly districts, shared the updates with reporters, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

According to Telmangizi, a residential complex has been constructed in Sugovushan covering 2.3 hectares. This complex includes five five-storey buildings, offering 190 flats of various layouts.

In addition to the housing development, the reconstruction of a school building capable of accommodating 144 students has been completed, providing the community with much-needed educational infrastructure. Furthermore, the village has seen the revitalization of its energy sector, with the successful operation of two small hydroelectric power plants, "Sugovushan-1" and "Sugovushan-2," which together generate 7.8 megawatts of electricity.

A recreational complex spanning six hectares has also been developed in the village, featuring 16 renovated cottages and a two-storey hotel building designed to cater to visitors and enhance local tourism.

This comes on the heels of the recent visit by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, who attended the inauguration of a new residential complex in Sugovushan, further underscoring the government's commitment to the village's restoration.

Sugovushan village in Azerbaijan's Aghdara district was liberated from Armenian occupation on October 3, 2020.

On October 3, 2020, the Azerbaijani Army successfully cleared the village of Armenian occupiers. On that day, the tricolour State Flag of Azerbaijan was raised in Sugovushan.

The village, historically known as Sugovushan, was renamed Madagiz during the Soviet era. It was first liberated by the Azerbaijani army from occupation in 1991-1992, but in April 1994, Armenia once again occupied the village.

Following the occupation of Sugovushan, the Armenians established military units in the area. Military Unit No. 49971 was considered one of the best in the Armenian army in Karabakh, and Military Unit No. 33651, designated as the "6th Defensive Region" by the Armenian army, also held positions in Sugovushan.

The battle for the liberation of Sugovushan is regarded as one of the most significant engagements by the Azerbaijani Army on the northeastern front during the Second Karabakh War. In the battles along the Sugovushan-Aghdara axis, Azerbaijani forces destroyed four tanks of the Armenian armed forces' 77th tank battalion, while three more tanks were captured as trophies.

Artillery strikes by Azerbaijani troops on the defensive positions of Armenia's 5th Mountain Rifle Regiment in the Aghdara sector resulted in the destruction of four combat vehicles. The regiment suffered heavy losses in personnel, with several units abandoning their positions and fleeing the battlefield.

By Vafa Guliyeva