Two years on: Azerbaijan restores full sovereignty in Karabakh The 23-hour operation that changed history

Today, September 19, marks two years since the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan carried out local counter-terrorism operations in the Karabakh region of the country.

After the victory in the 44-day Patriotic War, Azerbaijan offered Armenia peace and the normalisation of bilateral relations. President Ilham Aliyev strongly urged Yerevan to seize this historic opportunity and sign a peace treaty based on mutual recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, instead of doing so, Yerevan chose the path of provocations and military escalation.

On September 2, 2023, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan congratulated the leaders of the illegal junta on a fabricated “Independence Day.” Furthermore, despite agreements reached after the end of the Second Karabakh War, on September 9, 2023, so-called “elections” were held in the area temporarily under the responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, resulting in the election of a so-called “president.”

Armenia not only refused to withdraw its armed forces and separatist formations from Azerbaijani territory, but continued to send personnel, weapons, and equipment there. Moreover, within the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers, the Armenian side attempted to construct new fortifications, carry out engineering work to strengthen positions, and lay mines.

On September 19, 2023, on the Ahmadbayli–Fuzuli–Shusha highway, a mine planted in advance by Armenian sabotage groups exploded, killing two civilians. On the same day, a vehicle carrying personnel of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan detonated a mine laid by a reconnaissance-sabotage group of the Armenian armed forces, resulting in the death of four servicemen.

To prevent large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarm and remove Armenian units from the Azerbaijani territories, and restore constitutional order in the region, local counter-terrorism operations were launched.

At 13:00 on September 19, 2023, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces blocked all supply routes to Armenian forces and, through massive strikes, disabled their air defence systems, command centres, and electronic warfare equipment.

High-precision strikes were carried out against confirmed enemy targets using weapons available to the Azerbaijani army. A total of 1,761 targets were destroyed with precise hits.

Azerbaijani army units, coordinating effectively with one another, achieved significant successes across all directions of the operation. Within a short period, more than 90 enemy combat positions were brought under control.

The operation covered 13 directions: five in the north and eight in the south. Azerbaijani forces advanced rapidly from 5 to 26 kilometres deep into the enemy’s defensive lines along key axes: AghdarA–Asgaran, Khankendi–Khojavend, Sugovushan–Vang, Tazakand–Sirkhavand, and Khankendi–Khojaly, allowing them to secure all strategically important roads in these areas.

Within a few hours, Azerbaijani special forces units established full control over all key communication routes, cutting off access to the operational zones and blocking possible enemy retreat routes in all directions, advancing 9.5 kilometres into the separatists’ defensive lines.

Drawing on the experience of the 2020 Patriotic War and taking into account the challenges of the complex mountainous and forested terrain, Azerbaijani units operated in small, highly mobile groups. This allowed them to advance swiftly and catch the enemy by surprise.

Although the operation began during daylight and took place under adverse weather conditions in the mountainous and forested area, all assigned objectives were accomplished with precision and within the set timeframe.

“Azerbaijan duly punished the enemy by immediately taking necessary steps. Local antiterrorist measures were started, and all pending objectives were completed in one day. The terrorists were punished, and it was shown to Armenia again that all of their provocations would be met with a fitting response,” President Ilham Aliyev said in an address to the nation on September 20, 2023.

The counter-terrorism operations lasted 23 hours and 43 minutes, after which the separatists were forced to raise the white flag. In less than a day, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces fully cleared and took control of an area of 406 square kilometres. Demonstrating high professionalism, the Azerbaijani army conducted the operation in strict accordance with international humanitarian law, avoiding any civilian casualties and leaving civilian infrastructure unharmed. Within a short period, the Azerbaijani forces compelled the enemy formation, numbering between 15,000 and 18,000 personnel, to surrender.

On September 19–20, 2023, as a result of precise strikes by the Azerbaijani army, 8 tanks, 22 artillery systems, 14 mortars, 3 anti-aircraft complexes, 8 electronic warfare systems, and 9 military transport vehicles of the enemy were destroyed.

Additionally, during the operation, 1,731 units of various military equipment were confiscated and seized, including artillery pieces, surface-to-air missile systems, military vehicles, specialised equipment, and other combat assets. A total of 18,664 small arms were also seized.

On September 19, 2023, following local counter-terrorism operations, Azerbaijan fully restored its sovereignty. Armenian separatism was completely eliminated in Khankendi, Aghdara, Asgaran, Khojavend, and Khojaly. The Azerbaijani flag was raised in these territories, marking yet another proud chapter in the nation’s history.