Five years have passed since the liberation of the Khudaferin Bridge

October 18, 2020 - the twenty-second day of the Patriotic War, which led us to the liberation of our native lands.

The Armed Forces of Armenia once again grossly violate the humanitarian ceasefire regime, transferring military operations beyond the front line and targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Since the morning hours, they have been shelling the vicinity of Jabrayil city, as well as villages liberated from occupation along the Araz River, with mortars and artillery installations. The treacherous enemy is also trying to launch offensives in the Agderin, Fuzuli, Hadrut, and Jabrayil directions of the front.

Unlike Armenia, the Azerbaijani army is fighting only on the battlefield. As a result of our troops' actions in various directions of the front, enemy manpower, two launchers of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, five T-72 tanks, three "Grad" multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), two "Smerch" MLRS, one D-20 howitzer, one KS-19 anti-aircraft gun, and six vehicles have been destroyed or disabled.

At noon, Azerbaijan's air defense systems detected and destroyed another Su-25 attack aircraft of the Armenian Armed Forces that was attempting to launch an airstrike on our army's positions in the Jabrayil direction, as well as an enemy tactical drone that was attempting to fly towards Horadiz. In addition, a missile fired by the Armenian Armed Forces at the Khyzy district was neutralized by Azerbaijan's air defense forces. During the same hours, in the course of a successful military operation of our army in the Fuzuli direction, a military unit of the Armenian armed forces was captured.

The Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev, in an interview with Al Jazeera TV channel, called on the international community to strongly condemn Armenia's illegal activities and war crimes.

22nd day of the Patriotic War: the Azerbaijani flag flies over the Khudaferin Bridge

"The silence and absence of sharp condemnation from the international community creates a sense of impunity for Armenia and encourages it to further provocations. We call on the international community to strongly condemn these actions of Armenia and warn it against such provocations, as well as demand an end to the occupation. Armenia remains the only serious threat to stability and security in the region," he emphasized.

In his historic address to the people of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev announced the joyful news of a new victory - the liberation of the Khudaferin settlement, which was occupied by Armenians in 1993.

22nd day of the Patriotic War: the Azerbaijani flag flies over the Khudaferin Bridge

"The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan have raised the Azerbaijani flag over the ancient Khudaferin Bridge. Long live the Azerbaijani people! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!" - the head of state stated on his official Twitter page (now social network X - ed.).

Thus, October 18, 2020, entered the history of Azerbaijan as another glorious day, marked by another victory in the struggle for the liberation of occupied lands and the restoration of the country's territorial integrity.