BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12
Trend:
A new border commandant's office of the Azerbaijani State Border Service opened in Azerbaijan’s Zangilan district on the state border with Armenia on March 12, Trend reports referring to the State Border Service.
While speaking at the event organized on this occasion, Deputy Head of the State Border Service, Lieutenant General Ilham Mehdiyev stressed that as a result of the "Iron Fist" operation under the leadership of President of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander Ilham Aliyev, the territorial integrity of the country was ensured, the end was put to the occupation of 20 percent of the country's territory, including 132 km of the state border with Iran and 500 km of the state border with Armenia, which for almost 30 years posed a big threat to Azerbaijan’s national security.
The full mobilization of all forces and means for the successful fulfillment of the combat missions assigned by the supreme commander to the State Border Service during the second Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh War and the direct participation of the servicemen of the State Border Service in the liberation of the occupied part of the Azerbaijani-Iranian border, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan and Gubadli districts, Hadrut settlement and Shusha city was stressed.
From the first days of hostilities, Azerbaijani border guards liberated a big territory beginning from the contact line in Fuzuli district to the state border with Armenia. The crushing blows were inflicted on the Armenian Armed Forces. A distance of 105 kilometers was covered within 24 hours. The Azerbaijani state flag was raised on the ancient Khudaferin bridge, Agbend settlement of Zangilan district and in Zangilan city. As a result of fierce battles on the border with Armenia, "Bartaz" and "Shukurataz" strategic heights liberated.
The air defense systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, missile systems, tanks, combat armored vehicles and other equipment, command posts, and numerous servicemen, in total, 290 targets of the Armenian Armed Forces were neutralized through the modernization of An-2 aircraft into unmanned aerial vehicles, their use within a special combat technique to reveal the Armenian Armed Forces’ air defense means, as well as thanks to the professional use of such UAVs as Harop, Guzgun, and Hermes.
A group of servicemen who distinguished themselves in military service was awarded at the end of the event.