On strategic importance of the Farrukh Heights

Baku/30.03.22/Turan: Discussions around the Farrukh village developments are ongoing. The Russian Defense Ministry (MDM) and the Armenian side made statements accusing the Azerbaijani armed forces (AF) of violating the tripartite statement signed on November 10, 2020. In particular, the Armenian Foreign Ministry stated that the Azerbaijani armed forces in "crossing the line of contact seized the village of Farrukh (a village in the Armenian-populated part of Karabakh, near the Farrukh mountain range of the same name - Ed. note) and several nearby positions of the defense army. The Azerbaijani Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense refuted this information and responded adequately to the statements.

Following several days of exchange of statements and verbal skirmishes it became clear that the Farrukh Heights had come under Azerbaijani control.

What is the strategic significance of this height?

Military expert Azad Isazadeh answers these and other questions in the "Complex Question" program.

According to him, Farrukh hill is one of the highest points in the east of Karabakh (3200 m). To the west of this height the town of Shusha and to the north the Kelbajar region are situated. Even at the beginning of the century, during the People's Republic of Azerbaijan fights took place in Karabakh (Armenian-Azerbaijani war of 1918-1920).

"The army of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, advancing in the same direction - from present-day Terter and Goranboy regions in the direction of Agdara region, knocked out the Dashnaks who had revolted from Karabakh. During the first stage of the first Karabakh war in January, 1992 the offensive was successful. It went in the same direction. And the first attack was successful - the capture of Farrukh ridge. In January 1992-1993, the Azerbaijani army seized Farrukh several times but failed to hold it," Isazadeh said.

According to the expert, the Farrukh mountain range is one of the most important military-strategic areas of Karabakh.

"I would even say it is more important than Khojaly. The more important Khojaly is for us from the moral perspective, the more important Mt. Farrukh is from the military perspective. So, Mt. Farrukh located in the direction of Aghdam-Askaran in Karabakh, consists of a number of heights. These heights lead directly to the village of Balli Gaya and from there to the village of Wang. The Khachin riverbed is at the foot of this mountain. The village of Farrukh is a village of 40-50 houses, located on the left side of the Kolanly gorge, at the foot of Mt. Farrukh. Taking this village under our control completely secures the villages of the Agdam district," Isazadeh noted.

"One of the heights on Mt. Farrukh is Dashbashi. This height is the most strategically important height. By taking the Dashbashi height and other heights of the Farrukh ridge, the Azerbaijani armed forces ensured control over the Agdare-Khankendi road. The fact that our troops are on Dashbashi hill means that Askeran, Khanabad and Khojali are actually in our hands, and the road to Khankendi which runs through Khojali, is under our control," the expert stated as saying that whoever owns the Farrukh range decides the fate of separatists in Karabakh.