Ilham Aliyev Announces Liberation of Fuzuli in Military Offensive

President Ilham Aliyev announced the liberation of Fuzuli city and several surrounding villages on October 17, 2020, characterizing the operation as a strategic success. He demanded that Armenian forces vacate all remaining Azerbaijani lands to ensure a ceasefire, asserting that the Azerbaijani Army would continue its offensive until territorial integrity is fully restored.

Earlier, on October 15, Aliyev detailed the progress of the Iron Fist counter-offensive, reporting the liberation of Jabrayil and the strategic settlement of Sugovushan. He attributed these gains to the technical capabilities of the Azerbaijani army and unmanned attack aircraft, while denying the use of foreign mercenaries. Aliyev described the conflict as a war of liberation for Azerbaijan and a war of aggression for Armenia.

Aliyev condemned Armenian rocket attacks on the cities of Ganja and Mingachevir, labeling them war crimes. He reported 43 civilian deaths and over 200 wounded in Azerbaijan, while claiming Armenian battlefield losses were significantly higher, including the destruction of 234 tanks and various missile systems. Aliyev rejected the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh and emphasized the necessity of returning internally displaced persons to their homes.