Today is the sixth anniversary of the start of the Tovuz battles

Today marks six years since the start of fighting on the Tovuz section of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border.

On the afternoon of July 12, 2020, units of the Armenian armed forces grossly violated the ceasefire in the direction of the Tovuz district.

The Armenians attempted to launch an offensive with the aim of capturing our positions. Initially, the enemy, using small-caliber firearms, mortars, and other large-caliber heavy artillery systems, shelled a number of border settlements of the Republic of Azerbaijan — the villages of Aghdam, Dondar Gushchu, Alibeyli, Vahidli, Yukhari Oysuzlu, and Ashaghi Oysuzlu.

The command of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan immediately ordered units stationed at this section of the state border to take retaliatory measures against the enemy.

As a result, the attack was thwarted, and enemy firing positions on the front line of the Armenian Armed Forces' defense, reserves located in the depth of defense, strongpoints, artillery installations, military facilities of various purposes, combat equipment, and up to 100 servicemen were destroyed.

According to reports from the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, the military-political leadership of Armenia, as during the April 2016 battles, guided by the ban on dissemination of military information, concealed combat losses from the public.

According to available information, among those killed were militants of Armenian origin from Syria and various Middle Eastern countries. Since this category of individuals was not officially registered in Armenia, it was easier for the military leadership to conceal losses.

Active combat operations that began on July 12 continued until the evening of July 17. During this time, all attempts by Armenian Armed Forces units to capture our positions were decisively repelled, and no territorial losses were permitted.

At the same time, since combat operations were conducted on the state border between the two countries, the retaliatory measures taken by the Azerbaijani army, in accordance with the types of weapons used, were aimed exclusively at suppressing enemy firing positions and preventing their advance.

In the Tovuz battles, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan did not have the objective of capturing enemy positions or advancing in any direction.

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 Zeynalli, Warrant Officer Yashar Babayev, Extended-service Private Elchin Mustafazade, Extended-service Sergeant Vugar Sadygov, Extended-service Private Nazim Ismayilov, Senior Private Elshad Mammadov, Private Khayyam Dashdemirov — became martyrs. During the fighting, several servicemen were wounded.

It is a matter of national pride that in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, generals and officers fought and died side by side with their subordinate soldiers. The same cannot be said of the Armenian army, where the chaos typical of it prevailed during combat operations.

It should be noted that during the combat operations, as a result of intensive shelling of settlements and non-military facilities of Azerbaijan, the local civilian population suffered, and damage was inflicted on state and private property, as well as infrastructure facilities.

As a result of the artillery shelling of the Tovuz district by the Armenian Armed Forces on July 14, resident of the village of Aghdam Aziz Azizov (born 1944) was killed.

The clashes in Tovuz triggered the process of voluntary mobilization of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan into the army, while