Azerbaijan soldier helps end Armenian occupation

By Behlul Cetinkaya

TERTER, Azerbaycan (AA) - Serkan Memmedov, who fled his village in Agdere because of Armenia’s occupation in 1993, wants to return after fighting in operations to liberate the Azerbaijan territory.

Memmedov lives with his family in the Terter region in mass housing built for those who fled the occupied regions.

He was injured by mortar shelling during the operation.

"We were heading toward the Fuzuli region to fight. Our battalion commander ordered us to move forward. When we attacked, the enemy opened fire on us with mortars. As a result of the fire, me and my friend were injured," he said.

He was injured in his throat, shoulder, arm and legs; his toe was cut and there are two pieces of shrapnel in his body.

After being injured, he said he was first taken to the hospital in the area of operation and then to Baku. "I underwent an operation, shrapnel pieces were removed. I was sent on leave after I was discharged from the hospital. I want to return to my duty after my treatment is completed," said Memmedov.

"I am proud that our army liberated the occupied lands and I want to return to those lands. Who wouldn’t want that?" he added.

His father, Nizami Memmedov, expressed his eagerness to return to Agdere.

"I left Agdere in 1993 when I was 30 years old. When the war started, we took refuge in Barda city," he said.

He never forgot what he experienced during migration. "We crossed the Murovdag mountain on foot. It was very difficult to cross the mountain, so we could not bring any of our belongings except as much as we could carry," said the elder Memmedov.

While leaving home, Memmedov said Armenia's attacks were continuing and he reiterated that his family wants to return to their homeland.