Ilham Aliyev: With liberation of Shusha, backbone of Armenian army was effectively broken

With the liberation of Shusha, the backbone of the Armenian army was effectively broken, President Ilham Aliyev said at a meeting with residents in the city of Zangilan, Report informs.

"The Armenian armed forces were effectively encircled. Stopping the war at that time allowed us to return the Kalbajar, Lachin, and Aghdam districts through political means-effectively through an ultimatum-without further bloodshed," President Ilham Aliyev said.

"The ultimatum was clear: if Armenia did not withdraw from these lands within a short period-effectively one month or even less-all remaining Armenian armed forces in Garabagh would be destroyed. The order had already been given, and a contingent of 15,000 Armenian armed forces would have been annihilated. It was for this reason that Armenia withdrew from the Kalbajar, Lachin, and Aghdam districts in accordance with our demands," the Azerbaijani leader added.

"No other factors were at play here; no outside forces were pressuring them-only our firm stance. The territories that remained outside our control were bound to return to us sooner or later, and it happened sooner rather than later. Again, strong will, professionalism, and the tactical steps and military operations carried out until September 2023 laid the groundwork for the anti-terror operation to last only a few hours. The Armenian army surrendered for a second time, separatism was ended, the occupation was brought to an end, and we fully restored our sovereignty.

"This entire glorious history will remain with us forever. Naturally, our generation will never forget it, and the younger generation must know it-in schools, in families, and throughout society. This brilliant history is our source of pride, and it will remain so eternally."