Two years have passed since the liberation of Zangilan city from occupation.
As a result of the counter-operation of the Azerbaijani Army that started on September 27, 2020, Zangilan city has been liberated from the Armenian occupation on October 20, 2020.
Azerbaijani Army extended the scale of the battle operation starting from September 27 and entered the territory of the Zangilan region on the 24th day of the battles. Our army forced the enemy to retreat by squeezing and liberating several settlements of the Zangilan region on October 20.
President, Supreme commander-in-chief Ilham Aliyev stated in his address to the nation that the Azerbaijani Army started to liberate the settlements of the Zangilan region from the occupation.
President Ilham Aliyev stated in his address on October 20 that Dordchinar, Kurdlar, Yukari Abdurrahmanli, Garghabazar, Ashaghi Veysalli, Yukari Aybasanli villages of Fuzuli district, Safarsha, Hasangaydi, Fughanli, Imambaghi, Dash Veysalli, Aghtapa, Yarahmadli villages of Jabrayil district, Aghjakand, Mulkudara, Dashbashi, Gunashli (previously Norashen), Vang villages (in that address, the head of state announced that the village of Vang was named Chinarli) of Khojavand district were liberated from the occupation.
Then, the head of state declared that Azerbaijani Army also entered the territory of the Zangilan region and liberated settlements. President Ilham Aliyev declared that Havali, Zarnali, Mammadbayli, Hakari, Sharifan, and Mughanli villages of Zangilan district and the city of Zangilan were liberated from occupation.
Azerbaijani Army severely defeated the Armenian Army in the Zangilan region as well and destroyed a larger amount of enemy equipment and manpower.
With the liberation of the Zangilan region, Azerbaijani Army reached the border with Armenia.
The Medal “For the release of Zangilan” was established in Azerbaijan.
In accordance with the Order of President Ilham Aliyev, military servicemen who showed personal courage and bravery in participating in the battle operations for the liberation of the Zangilan region from occupation were awarded the medal “For the release of Zangilan”.
Remind that the Zangilan region was occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces on October 29, 1993. Armenians destroyed the Zangilan city and villages of the region and destroyed religious, historical, and cultural monuments and cemeteries.
Invaders also committed environmental terrorism against the rich nature of Zangilan, natural deposits in the region were savagely exploited. Rare Oriental plane trees were cut and burnt in the Basitchay State Reserve.
Wastewater, containing heavy metals, phenols, and radioactive substances, of the Gajaran copper-molybdenum plant and Gafan ore processing plant in Armenia that was a thousand times higher than normal, polluted the Okhchuchay River, which passes through the Zangilan region of Azerbaijan and flows into the Aras River. As a result, nature, the environment was severely damaged, and rare fish species were destroyed.
Severe pollution of Okhchuchay by the Armenians has been assessed as big ecological terrorism.