Eight years have passed since the glorious April battles, which are one of the bright historical victories of the Azerbaijan Army, Paralel.Az reports.

On 2 April 2016, the Azerbaijani army made the enemy suffer a heavy defeat with a quick counter-attack operation in response to the subversion of the Armenian armed forces by liberating more than 2000 hectares of the territory of Fuzuli, Jabrayil and Aghdara districts, which were then under occupation.

As well as thousands of hectares of areas have come under full control of the Azerbaijani Army. After 23 years, the Azerbaijani Army gave our people the joy of victory with the four-day April battles.

The purpose of the counterattack operation carried out by Azerbaijani Armed Forces was to eliminate the threat caused by Armenian armed forces to the residential settlements on the contact line. Thus, since March 2016, units of the Armenian Armed Forces had been firing at the settlements along the frontline more intensively. To escalate the situation were launching artillery fire both on Azerbaijani military positions and on settlements close to the contact line. On April 2, the enemy fired all positions, as well as civilians. The Azerbaijani side immediately decided to take adequate action and retaliated resolutely. The coordinates in the front and deep lines of the defense of the enemy were identified and the military personnel and hardware of the Armenian army were destroyed.

In April battles, the tensest area on the front was in Aghdara-Tartar-Aghdam and Fuzuli directions. In early April, the units of the Azerbaijani army identified the forces of the enemy concentrated in the front and deep lines and destroyed them with decisive strikes. As a result of the successful operations, the heights in the direction of Talysh village, which could pose threat to the city of Naftalan, were cleaned from the occupying forces. As well as to protect Horadiz city from enemy threat, the extremely strategic height of Lalatapa, which is situated in the direction of Fuzuli district and allows for controlling a wide area, was liberated.

As a result of the resolute strikes of the Azerbaijani army, up to 30 tanks of the enemy, more than 25 artillery units, and other military hardware of the enemy were destroyed, 320 servicemen were killed, and more than 500 military men were wounded. The roads in the direction of Aghdara-Madagiz were kept under control.

During the April battles, the myth of the "invincible Armenian army" created for years was destroyed and the Armenian people realized that the policy of occupation had failed. April victory was an incarnation of battle spirit of our soldiers, the unity of army with the people.
After succesfull April operation, Armenia’s undeniable occupation policy was reaffirmed. Thus, the fact that the majority of those who died in the battles were Armenian military personnel, they were rewarded by the Armenian government, a large part of the wounded were treated in Armenian medical institutions, and the state tried to send them back to Karabakh under the voluntary name of "separatist executioners" and fill them in the trenches left by the Armenian army, etc. the facts are a clear proof of this.

During the provocations committed by the Armenian army on the contact line, civilians were also killed and injured, and our residential areas were heavily damaged.

On April 19, a distinguished group of Azerbaijani servicemen were awarded high honorary title, orders and medals by the relevant orders of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for protection of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for the heroism and bravery shown by the Armenian invaders during the prevention of armed provocations by the troops on the contact line and repelling the enemy's attacks on the civilian population from April 2 to 5, 2016.

Among those awarded for their services to the motherland, some have been awarded the honorary title of "National Hero of Azerbaijan", the "Flag of Azerbaijan" and "For Service to the Motherland" orders, the "For the Homeland", "For Courage" and "For Military Services" medals.

Continuing the logic of the successful April battles, the Azerbaijani Army liberated our lands from occupation within 44 days starting from September 27, 2020, and Armenia was forced to sign the act of capitulation.