Memory of April battles heroes commemorated in Baku

Heydar Aliyev Palace has hosted a literary and artistic evening timed to coincide with the seventh anniversary of the April battles.

The event was co-organized by the NGO Zefer Martyr Families Support, Great Return Youth Organization with the support of the Culture Ministry, the Youth Foundation, the Azerbaijan Spiritual Values Promotion Foundation and Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (AzTV), Azernews reports.

The National Anthem of Azerbaijan was played at the beginning of the event.

A minute of silence was observed in memory of the martyrs who died in the Karabakh War.

The event brought together veterans of the Karabakh War, representatives of state and public structures and the activists of youth organizations.

Chairman of Zefer NGO, the wife of the martyr of the April battles, Colonel-Lieutenant Raguf Orujov, Sevinj Alizade, Great Return Youth Organization's member, the hero of the April battles, special forces senior lieutenant of the reserve Ahliyet Mehdiyev, the mother of two martyrs - the April battles and the 44-day Patriotic War - special forces soldiers Nurlan Asgarli and Intigam Asgarli, Ziba Asgarova addressed the event.

In their remarks, they noted that the April battles laid the foundation of the major historical events-the liberation of Azerbaijan's territories from Armenian occupation in the course of the 44-day Patriotic War.

The April battles demonstrated the strength of the Azerbaijani state, the unity of the people, the heroism of the army, these events are inscribed in the glorious annals of the country's history.

Hosted by Honored Cultural Worker Leyla Guliyeva, the concert features compositions "Sun of Hope", "We are the children of heroes", "Unity", accompanied by a chronology and video materials, with the participation of the soloist of the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, People's Artist Samir Jafarov as well as mugham singer, People's Artist Teyyub Aslanov, young artists and musical groups.

Seven years have passed since Azerbaijan's triumphant military success in the 2016 April battles or the four-day war.

On April 2, 2016, intensive artillery shelling of Azerbaijani frontline positions and settlements by the Armenian armed forces resulted in the killing of six civilians, including two children under the age of 16. Numerous public and private facilities, including civil infrastructure, were severely damaged as a result of the attack.

Thus, the counter-offensive became necessary. As a result of four-day battles, the Azerbaijani army liberated several strategically important heights and restored control over 2,000 hectares of land.

The positions in the direction of Tartar's Talish village and Sugovushan settlement, Jabrayil's Lalatapa height and Jojug Marjanli village, as well as Goranboy's Gulustan village, were cleared of enemy forces.

Some 30 Armenian tanks, up to 15 artillery installations and engineering fortifications were subjected to destruction, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and over 500 enemy soldiers were wounded.

Military operations along the line of contact between the Azerbaijani and Armenian forces ceased on April 5, by agreement of the parties.