Shusha's liberation marks end of 28-year-long chapter of sorrow, never to darken history again Testament to Armenia's crimes

For over 28 years, the occupation of Shusha, the cultural jewel of Karabakh and a symbol of Azerbaijani heritage persisted. The Armenian occupiers dubbed their seizure as the "Wedding in the Mountains" operation, oblivious to the fact that such celebrations in forcibly taken homes hold no legitimacy or recognition. It was always evident that the rightful owners would reclaim their property, turning the "wedding" into a funeral for occupiers' illusions.

Recalling a cynical admission sheds light on this deceitful narrative. "In March 1992, Ter-Petrosyan told the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda that full autonomy for Nagorno-Karabakh could be 'acceptable for both Karabakh and Azerbaijan.' Two months after this statement we captured Shusha. I said that this military action was already prepared, and the statement was voiced only as a component of information support for military action". Such a sensational statement-recognition was made last September on his Facebook page by Levon Zurabyan, who was the right-hand guy of Armenia's first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan. This confession was part of a deliberate misinformation campaign preceding the military operation to capture the Azerbaijani town of Shusha in May 1992.

This fact alone underscores the unreliability of Armenia's leadership, both past and present. Their shifting positions have consistently been dictated by the realization of their inability to confront Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who emerged from the political tutelage of Ter-Petrosyan, is emblematic of such politicians. His elevation to prime minister on May 8, 2018, coinciding with the occupation of Shusha, sent a clear message of Armenia's uncompromising and provocative stance on the Karabakh issue.

Pashinyan's subsequent declaration in parliament, advocating for Karabakh's right to self-determination, solidified this stance. His infamous statement, "Karabakh is Armenia, and that's it," coupled with provocations in Tovuz in the summer of 2020, inevitably led to the 44-day war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, culminating in the complete defeat of the Armenian army.

It is relevant to recall that on November 6, 2020, a 400-strong Azerbaijani special forces unit with light weapons, divided into four groups of 100 men each, climbed the cliffs of Shusha rained by enemy fire and entered the city from four sides in the morning. The Armenian fighters, suffering huge losses, fled the city. Armenian attempts to attack Shusha to regain control of the city failed. The liberation of Shusha was the most important stage of the operation called "Iron Fist". It was it, the mighty fist of the Azerbaijani army, that fell on the head of the Armenian invaders.

On November 8, 2020, President Ilham Aliyev, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Azerbaijan, delivered the jubilant news of Shusha's liberation to the nation.

"Dear Shusha, you're free! Dear Shusha, we are back! Dear Shusha, we will revive you!", he declared then.

We witness the rapid development and transformation of this esteemed city following its liberation. Its resurgence is evident to all foreign visitors who have had the opportunity to witness it firsthand. Soon, Shusha will welcome back its rightful owners, who are returning to their ancestral home for good.