| Battle ofAghdam | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Armenia Nagorno-Karabakh |  Azerbaijan | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Samvel BabayanAnatoly ZinevichVitaly BalasanyanMonte Melkonian †[1] | Talib Mammadov Nadir Aliyev † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 6,000 troops, 1 squadron ofMi-24's ~ 60tanks[citation needed] | 6,000 troops, unknown number oftanks,armoured fighting vehicles andMi-24 helicopters[citation needed] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| ~130,000 civilians displaced from the town and surroundingAghdam District[2] | |||||||
TheBattle of Aghdam (June – July 1993) took place on 23 July 1993 during theFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War, during which Armenian forces captured the Azerbaijani city ofAghdam. The city of Aghdam, which had about 50,000 inhabitants prior to its capture, is located about 30 km northeast ofStepanakert and 5 km east of the border of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Armenian forces considered Aghdam as a main staging area of Azerbaijani forces for attacks and artillery strikes against the Armenian-populatedNagorno-Karabakh region.[3] A significant part of the surroundingAghdam District was captured by Armenian forces as well.
According toHuman Rights Watch, Armenian forces used the power vacuum in Azerbaijan at the time, and seized Aghdam in July 1993. HRW reported that "during their offensive against Aghdam, Karabakh Armenian forces committed several violations of the rules of war, including hostage-taking, indiscriminate fire, and the forcible displacement of civilians". After the city was seized, it was intentionally looted and burned under orders of Karabakh Armenian authorities in retaliation for Azerbaijan's destruction of the Armenian-populated city ofMartakert.[3] BBC reported that every single Azeri house in the town was blown up to discourage return.[4]
Withcollapse of the USSR and the beginning of the Karabakh war, as a result of the division of the property of theSoviet Armed Forces, in addition to military equipment, ammunition depots also came under the control of Azerbaijan, including the 49th Arsenal of theMain Missile and Artillery Directorate in the city of Aghdam.[5] The leadership of the Azerbaijani army concentrated a large amount of artillery in Aghdam, which was used in the shelling[6] ofAskeran,Martakert andMartuni regions ofNagorno-Karabakh.[7] "In early March [1992], Armenian forces began intense shelling of towns located along the eastern border, separating Nagorno-Karabakh from the rest of Azerbaijan. These towns include Agdam and Fizuli, which [were] staging grounds for Azerbaijani operations in Nagorno-Karabakh."[8]
By mid-1993, Azerbaijani forces had lost control of most of the territory of the formerNagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast which they had captured inOperation Goranboy in 1992. In June 1993, the rebellious Azerbaijani colonelSurat Huseynov marched his troops onBaku, leaving the Karabakh front vulnerable in the ensuing political crisis.[9] Armenian forces took advantage of the crisis and advanced onAghdam. Azerbaijanis in Aghdam and Armenians in Stepanakert andAskeran would exchange heavy artillery fire.[7]
The battle of Aghdam started on June 12 from north and south of Aghdam usingGrad missile launchers, heavy artillery and tanks. The campaign also included simultaneous assault onTartar.[10] The first attack on the city was repelled by Azerbaijani defense. The clash was marked by the death ofMonte Melkonian, a famed Armenian military commander.[11] Armenians were able to capture Farukh mountain 10 km away from Aghdam overlooking the town from the northeast.Khydyrly village around which Azerbaijani forces took up positions fell next.
Despite the national mobilization, Azerbaijani forces were able to retake only a few villages but not the city.[12]
Following the battle of Aghdam, on July 25 ceasefire was announced by Armenian authorities and Azerbaijani government.[7] Several villages such asChirakhly and the city of Aghdam becameghost towns. Other villages of theAghdam District were repopulated by thepersons displaceds from the formerNKAO.[13]
Agdam.