The Madagiz offensive, also called the Battle of Madagiz (Azerbaijani: Madagiz döyüşü; Armenian: Մատաղիսի ճակատամարտ, romanized: Mataghisi chakatamart), or the Battle of Sugovushan (Azerbaijani: Suqovuşan döyüşü), was a military operation launched by Azerbaijan against the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh and their Armenian allies during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. The offensive began on 28 September, when the Azerbaijani forces advanced towards Armenian positions near the abandoned village of Talish. By 3 October, the Azerbaijani forces had seized control of Talish, and the town of Madagiz.
| Madagiz offensive | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Azerbaijan | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Edgar Markosyan[3] | |||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
 Artsakh Defence Army Armed Forces of Armenia | |||||||||
Timeline
On 27 September 2020, clashes broke out in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is de facto controlled by Artsakh, but de jure part of Azerbaijan.[6] This was followed by an offensive launched by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the direction of Talish and Madagiz next day,[7] with the Azerbaijani forces had gaining control of a "strategic high ground" around Talish.[8] On 29 September, the Azerbaijani authorities stated that their aerial and ground forces destroyed a mixed column of Armenian military vehicles travelling from Madagiz, together with an artillery battery.[9] They also stated that the Azerbaijani forces had destroyed an Armenian position near Talish.[10] On 2 October, the Azerbaijani forces captured and took control of dominant heights around Madagiz,[11] By 3 October, the Azerbaijani forces had seized control of Talish[12] and Madagiz,[13] as well as the latter's strategic dam.[2] On 9 October, the Azerbaijani authorities released confirmary footage from Talish and Madagiz.[14][15]
Aftermath
On 3 October, Madagiz was renamed to Sugovushan by the decree of Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan.[16]
Azerbaijani colonel Babak Samidli, deputy commander of the 1st Army Corps, died from a land-mine explosion on 23 November, during a post-armistice search for the bodies of missing soldiers in Madagiz.[17]
References
- ^ "President Ilham Aliyev congratulates 1st Army Corps Commander Hikmet Hasanov on liberation of Madagiz from occupation". apa.az. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated 1st Army Corps Commander Hikmet Hasanov on liberation of Madagiz, APA reports.
- ^ a b "Azerbaijani forces recapture strategic dam in Nagorno-Karabakh". Euronews. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Подбивший 10 танков Азербайджана Эдгар Маркосян назвал секрет непобедимости армянских военных" [Edgar Markosyan, who knocked out 10 tanks of Azerbaijan, called the secret of the invincibility of the Armenian military]. Panorama.am (in Russian). 17 October 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ "President Ilham Aliyev congratulates Commander of 1st Army Corps Hikmat Hasanov on liberation of Madagiz". Trend News Agency. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Əsir düşməmək üçün "Su-25" döyüş təyyarəsini düşmən səngərinə çırpan şəhid polkovnik Zaur Nudirəliyev VİDEO" (in Azerbaijani). 25 December 2020. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
- ^ "Armenia and Azerbaijan fight over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh". BBC. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "Azerbaijan suffers serious manpower losses – 370 servicemen killed within few hours". Armenpress. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Azerbaijani MoD: Advantageous high grounds around Talysh village cleared of enemy". azvision.az. AzVision. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Intense fighting continued during the all night" (Video). Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Müdafiə Nazirliyi: 'Ermənistan ordusunun mövqeləri darmadağın edilib'". Report Information Agency. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Operational information of the Ministry of Defense". mod.gov.az. Ministry of Defence (Azerbaijan). 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "President Ilham Aliyev: 'Azerbaijani army liberates a number of villages today'". APA.az. 3 October 2020. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
Today, the Azerbaijani Army liberated Talysh village of Tartar region, Mehdili, Chakhirli, Ashagi Maralyan, Shaybey and Guyjag villages of Jabrayil region, Ashagi Abdurrahmanli village of Fizuli region, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev shared this information on his Twitter page, APA reports.
- ^ "Azerbaijani President: Azerbaijani Army raised Azerbaijani flag in Madagiz". APA.az. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
'Azerbaijani Army has today raised the Azerbaijani flag in Madagiz. Madagiz is ours. Karabakh is Azerbaijan!, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev posted on Twitter, APA reports.
- ^ "Azerbaijan's MoD releases videorecording of Sugovushan village liberated from Armenian occupation – VIDEO" (video). APA.az. 9 October 2020. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense has released video recording of Sugovushan village liberated from Armenian occupation, APA reports.
- ^ "Video of the liberated Talish village of Tartar region" (video). APA.az. 9 October 2020. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
A video of the liberated village of Talysh in the Tartar region has been released, APA reports quoting the Defense Ministry.
- ^ "Aliyev duyurdu: Madagiz'de Azerbaycan bayrağı göndere çekildi". www.sozcu.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Land Mine Kills Officer As Search Continues For Armenian, Azerbaijani Missing". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 24 November 2020.