Victory that ends 27-year-long craving for historical Khudafarin Bridge over Araz
A year ago, during the Patriotic War, on this very day, October 18, the glorious Azerbaijani army liberated the Khudafarin Bridge from the enemy occupation, mounted our state flag, reported to President of the Azerbaijani Republic, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev about it.
It was Colonel Babak Alakparov, hero of the Patriotic War, officer of the State Border Service (SBS), who gave this victory report to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Colonel Babak Alakparov said in a conversation with a Report correspondent, dispatched to Jabrayil, that he was proud to report to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on the liberation of the Khudafarin Bridge and the city of Zangilan:
“I consider myself very happy that I had the honor of reporting to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on the liberation of the ancient bridge of Khudafarin and Zangilan city. Frankly speaking, I did not know that my reports would be broadcast on all TV channels. Besides, we were driven by single thought – to raise our glorious tricolor flag in all the territories liberated from the occupation. Fortunately, at all heights, where the state border goes through, the victorious flag of Azerbaijan flies.”
Located on the territory of Jabrayil District, Khudafarin Bridge, which historically connected the north and south of Azerbaijan, is one of the most ancient monuments of the country. The first information about the bridge dates back to the 8th-9th centuries. The bridge was built on the caravan road, connecting the medieval cities of south and north Azerbaijan. It was also of important military and strategic importance. According to the adopted date, the Khudafarin Bridge was built in 1027 by the Shaddadid ruler Fazl ibn Muhammad.
Part of the bridge was destroyed during the campaign of Aga Mohammed Shah Qajar to Azerbaijan, but later was restored. The first of the two Khudafarin Bridges, built across the Araz River, is called the Main Khudafarin Bridge. It is 130 meters long, 6 meters wide and 12 meters high. The second bridge has 15 spans and is 200 in length, 4.5 in width and 10 meters in height. The Khudafarin bridge, along with the fact that it is of great strategic importance, was one of the most important points in the Second Karabakh War. So, the village of Khudafarin, located near the bridge, is one of the last villages of Jabrayil, followed by Zangilan, and after it – Gubadli districts.
In this regard, the successful completion of the task of liberating the Khudafarin Bridge was of particular importance. In accordance with the plan of the operation in the direction along the Araz River, an advance was carried out into the depth of the enemy position up to 12 km, an ambush was arranged, the enemy forces, unable to withstand the combat resolve, the professional training of our personnel, retreated, having suffered serious losses in manpower, we managed to recapture the strategic height located in the area.
The liberation of Khudafarin from the enemy occupation is a strategic success from a military point of view, the restoration of historical justice, the return by our people of their cultural pearls, as well as an event that will give an important impetus to the socio-economic development of the region. It is a pride for the Azerbaijani people that the president raised the Azerbaijani flag on the historical Khudafarin bridge. Khudafarin, which has left a deep mark on the morality and history of our people, is also a matter of national pride.