Five years have passed since the Tovuz battles

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Tovuz battles, which ended with the victory of the Azerbaijani army.

Starting from noon on July 12, 2020, units of the Armenian armed forces, grossly violating the ceasefire regime with the aim of capturing positions in the Tovuz direction of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, committed another military provocation by firing at our positions from large-caliber machine guns, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, mortars and other artillery installations.

However, this provocation by the enemy was prevented, its strongholds and hundreds of military personnel were destroyed.

On the first day of the Tovuz battles, three servicemen of the Azerbaijani army became martyrs while preventing the enemy's provocation - extended service sergeant Vugar Sadigov, senior private Elshad Mammadov, private Khayam Dashdamirov, and five more were wounded. One of the soldiers later died from his injuries. The Armenian army suffered heavy losses among its personnel.

Tensions in the Tovuz direction continued into the night of July 13. In the night battles using artillery, mortars and tanks, the precise fire of the Azerbaijani army destroyed an enemy stronghold, artillery installations, vehicles and manpower on the territory of the military unit. The enemy tried to hide its losses. On the same day, heavy artillery installations were again put into action in the Tovuz direction. During the battles, Armenian artillery shelled the Tovuz villages of Dondar Gushchu and Agdam with cannons.

Starting from the morning of July 14, the enemy fired at the villages of Agdam and Alibeyli in the Tovuz region from large-caliber guns and artillery installations. As a result of the treacherous attack, Major General of the Azerbaijani Army Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzoyev, and 5 more servicemen were killed. As a result of Armenia's attacks, 76-year-old Aziz Azizov, a resident of Agdam village, was also killed.

That evening, the fighting subsided, and relative calm was established at the front. On July 15, the clashes ceased, but on the morning of July 16, the fighting resumed. That day, another serviceman of the Azerbaijani army became a martyr. A significant number of enemy personnel and equipment were destroyed.

The Tovuz battles ended with the victory of the Azerbaijani army on July 17 without territorial losses. 12 servicemen of the Azerbaijani army - Major General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzoyev, Major Namig Ahmadov, Major Anar Novruzov, Senior Lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov, Warrant Officer Ilgar Zeynally, Warrant Officer Yashar Babayev, Extended Service Private Elchin Mustafazade, Extended Service Sergeant Vugar Sadigov, Extended Service Private Nazim Ismailov, Senior Private Elshad Mammadov, Private Khayam Dashdamirov - heroically died, becoming martyrs.

During the Tovuz battles, mass actions were held in support of the Azerbaijani army. On July 14, a march of thousands of people was held in Baku in support of the Armed Forces and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The citizens of the country stand by the Azerbaijani army and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, supporting them. Tens of thousands of young people, responding to the call of President Ilham Aliyev, applied to the departments of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription where they were registered, expressing