Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

The Tovuz battles have etched in the chronicles of the Azerbaijan army. Two years have passed since the start of the Tovuz battles in July 2020, one of the important turning points on the road to the Patriotic War, in which the Azerbaijani armed forces triumphed spectacularly.

Likewise, the stunning April battles of 2016, the triumphant Gunnut operation of 2018, and the Tovuz battles of 2020 characterized the Azerbaijani army's march to victory.

During the five-day July hostilities, which began with the blocking of the next sabotage of the Armenian army, the Azerbaijani army dealt a severe blow to the enemy and thwarted its evil purpose.

On July 12, 2020, Armenian military forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Tovuz region on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, firing artillery at Azerbaijani positions and attempting to assault. However, as a result of the adequate preparations taken, the enemy was struck a significant blow and was forced to retreat with losses. Thus, the attempts of the Armenian armed forces to capture the Azerbaijani army positions were resolutely prevented and no territorial loss was allowed. Three Azerbaijani servicemen were martyred and five others were wounded while preventing the enemy's attack in the battle. The personnel of the Armenian army sustained significant casualties in the fights.

On the night of July 13, Armenian troops employed different weapons and artillery equipment to fire on Azerbaijani locations, notably Tovuz's Aghdam village, in order to raise tensions in the mentioned direction. The enemy suffered considerable losses as a consequence of the Azerbaijani troops' stringent countermeasures.

President Ilham Aliyev presided over the Security Council meeting on July 13. To counter the enemy's attempts to destabilize its fortifications, Azerbaijani forces utilized retaliatory measures. Azerbaijan permitted no territorial losses; nonetheless, four personnel were killed in the fighting.

On the same day, units of the Armenian armed forces shelled Tovuz’s Aghdam and Dondar Gushchu villages of the same district with mortars and cannons. Stronger response measures were implemented by the Azerbaijani troops against all provocations of the enemy. Several of its military objects and equipment, as well as firing positions, radar station, personnel, battalion headquarters, and military infrastructure, were destroyed by accurate fire.

Fighting raged during the night of July 13-14 in Tovuz region of the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border. Punitive operations were employed to prevent the adversary from engaging in active operations that resulted in the destruction of various purpose military equipment, combat vehicles, command post, reserves, and troops in the depths of its defense. Over the course of two days, the opposing side was bombarded with deadly fire. The enemy retreated after sustaining substantial losses during the fight in the direction of Tovuz region.

On July 14, Armenian military forces opened fire from large-caliber weaponry and artillery on the villages of Aghdam, Alibayli, and Dondar Gushchu. On that day, Maj-Gen Polad Hashimov and Col Ilgar Mirzayev of the Azerbaijan Army, who were on the front line of the defense, as well as five servicemen, were heroically martyred while preventing the enemy attack. This demonstrated to the world the true patriotism of the generals and other high-ranking officers of the Azerbaijan army, who heroically performed their duties on the front line.

On the same day, retribution against the enemy was resumed. When the situation became tight, the opposing side, as is customary, began firing into the residential areas. A native of Tovuz's Aghdam village was killed as a result of artillery fire from Armenian troops.

To prevent the enemy from engaging in active battle, the Azerbaijani army disabled the control post of its artillery division. As a result of retaliatory actions, the Armenian armed forces' combat equipment and another unit's base station were destroyed the next day. Long-term firing positions and support points of the opposing side, which exposed Azerbaijani positions and residential areas to fire, were destroyed.

Another attack of the enemy on Azerbaijani forces on July 16, in the direction of Tovuz’s Aghdam, Dondar Guschu, and Vahidli villages, was successfully thwarted.

On July 17, the Tovuz area was relatively peaceful, but tensions remained as a whole.

As a result of the Tovuz battles, 12 Azerbaijani military personnel and one civilian were killed. The engagements, however, were yet another demonstration of the Azerbaijani army's great expertise. Over 100 Armenian soldiers were killed and military equipment was destroyed by the Azerbaijani army units during the battles.

The battles of July 2020 were one of the most crucial steps on the path to the Patriotic War, one of the most magnificent chapters in Azerbaijan's history. After these engagements, the valiant Azerbaijani Army, which conducted a large-scale counter-offensive operation to prevent the enemy's next provocation, destroyed the Armenian armed forces in the 44-day war and liberated the territories from occupation.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Tovuz battles, the Defense Ministry organized a media tour for media representatives.

Servicemen serving in the military unit stationed in this region, as well as participants in the Tovuz clashes, were videotaped and interviewed by media representatives.

Servicemen told media representatives about the combat operations carried out on July 12-17, 2020, in the direction of Tovuz region of the state border as a consequence of a flagrant breach of the ceasefire.

During the trip, media reporters became acquainted with the living circumstances available in the military unit to enable personnel to fulfill their tasks more effectively.

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