KHANKENDI, Azerbaijan, June 26. A military parade was held in the city of Khankendi on June 26 in celebration of Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces Day, Trend reports.
According to the Public Relations Department of the Restoration, Construction, and Management Service operating in Khankendi, Aghdara, and Khojaly districts, military personnel are marching through the city’s central streets along designated routes, accompanied by a military band.
Patriotic songs and the victory march have filled the air, lifting the spirits of local residents and visitors alike. The troops, marching through the now-liberated city, are greeted with applause and appreciation from the public. The parade will conclude at Victory Square in Khankendi.
The celebration comes in the context of Azerbaijan’s hard-won victory in the 44-day Patriotic War, which began on September 27, 2020, in response to provocations by Armenian armed forces. The war ended on the night of November 9–10 with Armenia signing a capitulation agreement, marking its defeat.
This victory resulted in the liberation of Azerbaijani territories that had been under Armenian occupation for nearly 30 years, fully restoring the country’s territorial integrity. During the conflict, more than 300 villages, towns, and cities—including the cultural capital Shusha—were liberated by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
Nearly 3,000 Azerbaijani servicemen and around 93 civilians lost their lives in the Second Karabakh War, with thousands more injured, including both soldiers and civilians.
Three years later, on the night of September 19–20, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a brief but decisive local counter-terrorism operation against separatist and illegal Armenian armed groups in Karabakh. The operation lasted approximately 23 hours and led to the full restoration of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty across its entire territory.
