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Correspondents of APA have visited the liberated lands from occupation by Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. Our employees have prepared a series of reportages in the rubric “In the footsteps of victory”. We present the next reportage from these series:
Words of an officer on the way
The third day of our visit. Our way is to Jabrayil. Although we left behind many villages of the district, we could not reach at center still. As the road stretches, as number of mountains, hills, which we pass through, our admiration also increases: I wonder how our army, soldier liberated these territories during 44 days. With which did speed they go ahead? Did we ever think that these settlements, these villages were liberated at the expense of which strength, which will, which deprivations, which losses, which difficulties, while longing for a tweet sitting in our hot homes in the city?
As we see villages, settlements, valleys, hills, plains, which we pass through, we are unable to say anything in front of the bravery demonstrated by our army. All of these are like a story.
I ask an official, who joined us in one of posts and come until center of Jabrayil: What was the force that drove them ahead? We questioned the person, who come from war.
Footnote: As we mentioned in our previous articles, we do not write names of our interviewers. And what is the difference who speaks? Main thing is what is spoken, all of our sons, who fighted in the war, are heroes for us at the same level.
- Do you come from vacation?
- No, I came from funeral of martyr.
- You, probably, participated in the battles?
- Yes.
- Where did you fight?
- In everywhere of Jabrayil.
- How did you pass through mountains, valleys, villages, settlements?
I swear these fighting sons had a wolf heart. They went towards death directly that our territories must be liberated, that is all.
- Did you go to liberate other village immediate after liberating one village or wait?
- If you liberate a village, you should strengthen your position, you must be sure that the village was cleaned by the enemy. Then you start the next attack.
- Where did soldiers sleep, rest during battles? Because Armenians destroyed villages, cities, any place to stay is not seen.
- They even did not remember sleeping. For example, there is a mountain in the front, it should be liberated. The soldier did not think about sleeping, resting, all of them just took a nap and that was all, we were saying “Allah, Muhammad, ya Ali” and attacking. What was sleeping!
- What did you do when it was rainy, cold?
- I did not mind it. You believe it rained, my cloth was wet. Then I even did not know how it dried. I even did not got catch disease. We had a road. Territories must be liberated, that is all.
- Is a number of the dead soldiers by you is too many?
- Too many. My cousin got wounded. Do you know what he said while removing him from battlefield? We had a wounded soldier in worse condition compared to my cousin. He lost one of his legs. I took my cousin in order to remove him, he said me that leave me, I was shot from my stomach, I have my legs, I will reach myself by creeping, you should take the soldier, who lost his leg.
- Did you take him?
- Yes, I took him.
- Did he survive?
- Yes, he lost his right leg, but he is living.
- Did our soldiers died due to mine mostly?
Not mines, mortar shells mostly. I served for about 20 years, but I do not know these territories. 99% of the detachment soldier are smaller than me. If even I do not know these territories which such experience, how 18-22-year-old boys can know? But they went to battle directly while they did not know the territory, they did not think that something can happen.
-How did troops move? In order like in movies or?
- If we attacked as it was in movies, we could not liberate even an inch.
- What did you feel when you see “Harop”, “Bayraktar” over your heads?
- Let’s think that enemy shelled us from somewhere, yes? You believe, they became silent when they heard sound of it.
- Did they flee?
- They fled like a dog.
- But our soldiers became more encouraged when they heard its voice.
- Yes-yes, drones helped a lot. There was a task, which you should implement within 2 hours, but it takes more, but you feel comfortable when you hear the sound of “Bayraktar”.
- Who led battles in Jabrayil?
- Jabrayil was led by Barkhudarov. Mayis Barkudarov was another person. Soldiers went to death directly for him. He fought in the front. And the soldier became more couraged when he saw the general was fighting before all. National Hero Shukur Hamidov was also such a person. That person did not stop. That person did not eat. The dream of that person was just that territories must be liberated. God created each person in different ways. God created a person tall, another small. Shukur Hamidov was not so tall and fat. But he had so awful courage. He used to sit on my BMP and say “drive”. May Allah rest him in peace. Shukur Hamidov was a beating heart. He used to create enthusiasm in soldiers. If a National Hero went in the front and fought, how I or a soldier can not fight? I say that we – officers and soldiers had just thought, to move forward as much as possible and to liberate our territories.
- How was your food supply?
- It was good. Thanks to our civilian people. They helped us a lot. They did not allow our soldiers to suffer from the supply, they sent cars, loaded with products.
- What did you feel when Shusha was liberated?
- I have a neighbor, she is from Malibayli village of Shusha. She was my teacher. I phoned her and gave the good news firstly when Shusha was liberated. She also sacrificed when I went to the army. Her dream was that one of her students give her good news of Shusha, she always used to say at lessons. I phoned her, said that teacher, may rejoice you. She cried, she knew that I would not tell her a lie. After two days from my call, the news was approved. We arrived at the center of Jabrayil while talking. Our road separates from here, our official goes to his military unit, we go shoot city joining our guard police (they are two persons), who waited for us in Jabrayil District Police Department
Black stone shrine and bath, where pig was kept
The Black Stone Shrine has always been considered one of the sacred places of the Jabrayil people. Like the black stone in the Kaaba, this stone is thought to have descended from the sky. That is why, this huge piece of stone has been greatly respected for centuries, and believers have made wishes and vow to this stone. Like everywhere in the city of Jabrayil, this shrine has been subjected to the savagery of the Armenians. But still, among the ruins, it is distinguished for its shape and color.
Making our wishes, we pass by the destroyed houses and yards. Here was once the central street of Jabrayil. The mosaic-style ruined bus-stops keep the beauty of nice days a little.
We are standing in front of the Sultan Allahverdi bath, built in the 19th century. The front of the bath is fenced with iron bars. Armenians kept pigs inside this historical monument. The stinking pig remains on the side of the road in front of the bath also says that it was used as a stable. Probably an Armenian who couldn't take his animal with him killed the pig. The person who set fire on his house when he leaves, can also kill the animal. However, it is said that during the attack on Jabrayil, Armenians living in the officers' building left their bread in the oven, food on the table, and vodka in a glass.
The main domed part of the bath was collapsed, excepting only a few cells. Unfortunately, we could not find detailed information about the history of the bath.
- There was once a market and a boarding school near the Sultan Allahverdi bath, - says our other guide. - Our house was located below, on Ashig Pari Street.
- Did you go and see it?
- Yes, I went and saw, there is nothing left, just foundation stones. Our house is seen from the balcony of officers’ building, where we live, sometimes I look from there.
-How did you feel when you saw your house like that?
- My childhood has passed in that house. We have walked these places so much. Some things – İ remember the Black stone, bath, underground water supply.
-Bro, he is another guide, the people who were born and raised in Jabrayil and spent most of his life come here and know nowhere. How do we know?
-There must be the Statue of Ashig Peri in your street, and the statue of Jamil Ahmadov near the underground water-supply.
-We have not seen the statue here. Armenians have destroyed all of them. Now we will go to the underground water supply and you will see. There was a “spring” there, and it was impossible to drink the water of the “spring” till the end, the water was so cold. They dried up the water, unscrupulous.
I did not see the bronze statue to Jamil
We come to the underground water supply. There is neither an underground water-supply here nor a tall plane tree rising above it. It was as if Armenians have destroyed these places purposefully because they know that these places are dear to the people of Jabrayil, or what is the sin of the tree, underground water-supply. It was as if they were not only hostile to people but also took revenge on trees, mountains, and valleys.
Armenians have covered the underground water-supply with concrete slabs and pumped water into the town where the officers were living once with pipes. We see a monument in the shape of a heart from concrete away from the remains of the underground water supply. But, our guides do no remember whether there was a “hear monument” here before occupation.
If I do not make mistake, a statue to the brother of the late national writer Sabir Ahmadli, a hero of the Soviet Union Jamil Ahmadov was erected near the underground-water supply. There was a photo of Sabir Ahmadli in front of his statue, as well as a poem written by Ali Karim in memory of Jamil Ahmadov...
Jamil Ahmadov has fought heroically in the Great Patriotic War and died in Poland in 1944.
Sabir Ahmadli kept the memory of his late brother in his heart for the rest of his life, he carried his ancestry in his heart until his death, and this ancestry permeated many of his works. Towards the end of his life, a son made a nest in his heart. His son Mahammad Ahmadov was martyred on February 12, 1994, on his birthday in Murov.
Now there is no bronze statue of Jamil Ahmadov, and vandals, like other buildings in Jabrayil, have destroyed and looted it. But, i believe that the soul of Sabir Ahmadli whose hometown was liberated from occupation is happy now.
Burnt pickup, cowardly Armenians
After that, we are going to take photos of an eagle monument erected in honor of those who died in the Great Patriotic War. There has been once an eagle monument. No there is no that eagle. There is only the "1941-1945" inscription. We see an unknown soldier's monument in another part of the city in the same bad situation.
By the way, if we come here, we must see the "Friendship Spring" and drink its water. But first we were filming on the road to the spring - next to the burnt pickup truck of the Armenian military. This place where we stand is one of the places where serious battles took place for Jabrayil.
“Look, below this pickup, the corpses of Armenian soldiers have been scattered along the road. There was so much! Our guide talks proudly and others additives. “The Red Cross" took, the Armenians who came with them could not look up for fear of our soldiers, he talks with a smile, they begged to Russians to say Azerbaijani soldiers not to look up them, and Russians were saying to Azerbaijani soldiers that “for God’s sake, do not look at Armenians, they are afraid of you”.
After seeing the current state of the monuments that we can draw in the city of Jabrayil, we say goodbye to our sincere, smiling guides and go to the post office in the place called "Mahmudlu's circle". We will go to the Khudafarin Bridge, which is considered a symbol of the unity and integrity of our people, accompanied by our guide.
Meet a soldier who plays the piano like a drum
Now, we are in “Mahmudlu’s circle”. There are a lot of soldiers here. We want to talk with them and listening to the combat adventures until we wait for our new guide.
-A soldier chops wood. The ax does not cut, either the wood is too hard, or something else. I say “let me help you”.
-No, do not suffer.
-What suffering? Let me check. To be honest, I want to show these sons, who say “Uncle to me”, that “we also have been a soldier”, and to help them anyway.
-İt seems that the head of the ex drops out?
-No, it does not.
I lift the ax and shoot it with a blow, comes back to me like the opposite people. This time, I keep harder from the handle of the ax. The second blow. Third. Fourth.
-“It is like a stone,” I say to cover my shame, and shoot the ax to the wood with all my might. Finally, I can pull out a small part from the edge of the clump. But I was short of breath.
My soldier brother maybe took pity on me, approached me, and took the ax.
-“Your ex is so bad,” I said finding an excuse.
-Yes, it is.
-Wait, let me look. I take the ex and run my thumb on it - It's really dull. I cling to this excuse, i did not hold the handle of an ax so tightly before.
-Do not you have whetstone? Sharpen it. If there was, I would sharpen.
As if I chopped the wood well, I wanted to sharpen the ex. Fortunately, our photograph Ilkin saves me from this confusing:
-Mirmehdi, there was a soldier who played the piano like a drum, and he was here.
-Where?
-There.
We approach and meet with that soldier.
- Were you in that video?
- Yes.
- How long have you been here?
- Since the beginning of the war.
- Where did you shoot the video?
- In Hadrut.
- It was a house or music school?
- It was a house.
- Can't you play the piano?
- (smiles) No. But I play only "Cucelerim".
- Me too. Your videos become a trend in Baku.
Smiles again.
- You are popular. Do you know?
- No. We have a low internet connection here.
-Could you talk about the war, an episode, a scene.
-What can I say, he laughs again. I can only say that Armenian were hiding like a mouse when they see us. We have frightened them so that they will not be able to attack us again. We have proved to them that the Azerbaijani people are courageous people, and when necessary, they take their land as soon as possible.
- Were you having a lot of difficulties?
- There were also difficulties. We have been under siege, we have been hungry and thirsty for several days, lost our best friend, our comrade-in-arms, but we are not discouraged. Because, we know that we have to liberate our lands, and we liberated.
I want to give questions again. But he says that he will not be able to speak thoroughly: God willing, let's discharge, and then I'll give an extensive interview” he said.
We talk and leave. Just then, our guide arrives to accompany us to Khudafarin.
Crossing the "lovely" "Ohanyan wall"
Khudafarin is the subject of a separate article, that is why I will not talk about it now. But, let me tell you about the so-called "Ohanyan wall" that we saw again and again, which was praised by the Armenians, and destroyed in our first attack.
The first place our troops took in Jabrayil was the “Ohanyan wall”. The "Ohanyan wall" was a minefield between our line of contact with the Armenians, behind the dam, where concrete poles were buried and wired between them. Armenians were considering that it is impossible to cross this wall. Because they also observed with thermal cameras through the antennas installed on the top of the mountain in front. They saw who was approaching the “Ohanyan line”
It means that Armenians turned the "Ohanyan wall" into an impassable fortress in their world with the help of technology and barbed wire. They were considering that our army would never be able to break this barrier and attack. However, when the military operation began on September 27, firstly, the station with the antenna has been destroyed. The first post received in a short time was here. So, like other myths they made, the myth of the "Ohanyan Wall" also suddenly exploded like a soap bubble.
And then? The latter is known. The “known” that will not end with my writing, epics will be added to its name, and novels will be written.
It will be definitely written...
(to be continued)
The road to Khudafarin, Greetings from another part, The tea brewed from the water of Gasimli spring.
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