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Azerbaijan marks five years since liberation of Zangilan city

20 October 2025 00:00 (UTC +04:00)

Five years have passed since the liberation of Zangilan city from occupation, APA reports.

As a result of the counter-operation of the Azerbaijani Army that started on September 27, 2020, Zangilan city was liberated from the Armenian occupation on October 20, 2020.

Expanding the scale of operations that began on September 27, the Azerbaijani Army entered the territory of Zangilan district on the 24th day of fighting. Pushing back the enemy and forcing them to retreat, the army freed several settlements in the Zangilan district on October 20.

The news about the Azerbaijani Army beginning to liberate settlements in Zangilan was announced to the public by President and Supreme Commander Ilham Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev stated in his address on October 20 that Dordchinar, Kurdlar, Yukhari Abdurrahmanli, Garghabazar, Ashaghi Veysalli, Yukhari Aybasanli villages of Fuzuli district, Safarsha, Hasangaydi, Fughanli, Imambaghi, Dash Veysalli, Aghtapa, Yarahmadli villages of Jabrayil district, Aghjakand, Mulkudara, Dashbashi, Gunashli (formerly Norashen), Vang villages (the President announced that Vang village was renamed to Chinarli in his address) of Khojavand district were liberated from the occupation.

The President then emphasized that the glorious Azerbaijani Army also entered the Zangilan district and freed settlements there. He announced that the villages of Havali, Zarnali, Mammadbayli, Hakari, Sharifan, Mughanli and Zangilan city were liberated from occupation.

The Azerbaijani Army inflicted a heavy defeat on the Armenian forces in Zangilan, destroying significant enemy personnel and equipment.

With the liberation of Zangilan district, the Azerbaijani Army reached the border with Armenia.

The “For the Liberation of Zangilan” medal was established in Azerbaijan. Military personnel who participated in the operations for the liberation of Zangilan and showed personal courage and heroism were awarded this medal by presidential order.

By presidential order, October 20 was established as Zangilan City Day.

Recall that Zangilan district was occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces on October 29, 1993. During the occupation, Armenians destroyed Zangilan city and the villages of the district, demolishing religious, historical, and cultural monuments, as well as cemeteries.

The occupiers also carried out ecological terrorism against the rich nature of Zangilan. Natural resources in the district were exploited brutally, rare Eastern plane trees in the Basitchay State Nature Reserve were cut and burned.

Wastewater containing heavy metals, phenols, and radioactive materials from the Gacharan copper-molybdenum and Gafan ore-processing plants in Armenia, far exceeding safe limits, flowed through Zangilan into the Araz River, polluting the Okhchuchay River. This caused severe environmental damage, and rare fish species in the river were destroyed.

The severe pollution of the Okhchuchay River by Armenia is considered a major act of ecological terrorism.