Battle of Shusha (1992): Difference between revisions

Battle of Shusha (Shushi)
	Part of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War
	; Gagik Avsharyan's restored T-72 tank commemorating the capture of Shusha
Date	8–9 May 1992
Location	Shushi
Result	Armenian victory Siege of Stepanakert ended; Land corridor with Armenia secured;
Belligerents
Nagorno-Karabakh; Armenia	Azerbaijan; Chechen militants
Commanders and leaders
Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan; Samvel Babayan; Seyran Ohanyan; Gurgen Dalibaltayan; Jirair Sefilian; Vardan Stepanyan	Rahim Gaziyev; Elbrus Orujev; Elkhan Orujev; Shamil Basayev; Salman Raduyev
Strength
1,000–1,800 troops; 4 tanks; 2 Mil Mi-24 helicopters	2,500 troops; Several tanks; BM-21 Grad artillery
Casualties and losses
35–58 killed	150–200 killed; 300 wounded; 13–68 POW
	~15,000 Azerbaijanis displaced

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39°45.5′N 46°44.9′E / 39.7583°N 46.7483°E / 39.7583; 46.7483

The Battle of Shusha^[a] (Codenamed: Operation Wedding in The Mountains; Armenian: Հարսանիք լեռներում, Harsaniq lernerum; Russian: Свадьба в горах, Svadba v gorakh) (Armenian: Շուշի, Shushi) was the first significant military victory by Armenian forces during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The battle took place in the strategically important mountain town of Shusha on the evening of 8 May 1992, and fighting swiftly concluded the next day after Armenian forces captured it and drove out the defending Azerbaijanis. Armenian military commanders based in Nagorno-Karabakh's capital of Stepanakert had been contemplating capturing the town after Azerbaijani shelling of Stepanakert from Shusha for half a year had led to hundreds of Armenian civilian casualties and mass destruction in Stepanakert.

The capture of the town proved decisive. Shusha was the most important military stronghold that Azerbaijan held in Nagorno-Karabakh – its loss marked a turning point in the war, and led to a series of military victories by Armenian forces in the course of the conflict.^[12]

Background

In February 1988, Nagorno-Karabakh had been an autonomous oblast for over sixty years within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, though with a majority Armenian population. Following its government's decision to secede from Azerbaijan and re-unify with Armenia, the conflict erupted into a larger scale ethnic feud between Armenians and Azerbaijanis living in the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Armenians and Azerbaijanis vied to take control of Karabakh with full-scale battles in the winter of 1992. By then, the enclave had declared its independence and set up an unrecognized, though self-functioning, government.^[13]

The advanced weaponry of tanks, armored fighting vehicles, fighter jets and helicopter gunships deployed by both sides marked the moment of all-out war. Large-scale population movements began as well, with most of the Armenians living in Azerbaijan fleeing to Armenia and the Azerbaijanis in Armenia to Azerbaijan. The battle was preceded by the controversial capture of the town and site of Nagorno-Karabakh's only airport in Khojaly by Armenians in February 1992. With the loss of Khojaly, Azerbaijani commanders concentrated the rest of their efforts on Stepanakert, overlooked by Shusha.^[14]

On 26 January 1992 Azerbaijani forces stationed in Shusha encircled and attacked the nearby Armenian village of Karintak (located on the way from Shusha to Stepanakert) attempting to capture it. This operation was conducted by Azerbaijan's then defence minister Tajedin Mekhtiev and was meant to prepare the ground for a future attack on Stepanakert. The operation failed amid strenuous resistance put up by villagers and the Armenian fighters. Mekhtiev was ambushed and up to seventy Azerbaijani soldiers died. After this debacle, Mekhtiev left Shusha and was fired as defence minister.^[15]^[16]^[17] The Armenians to date celebrate the self-defence of Karintak as one of their early and most decisive victories.

Shusha as base for shelling Stepanakert

Shusha sits on a mountaintop overlooking the NKR's highly populated capital, Stepanakert (just 5 km away), from an elevation of 600m. An old fortress with high walls, the town is five kilometers (four miles) to the south of Stepanakert and perched on a mountaintop with limited vehicular access. From a geographical standpoint Shusha was well-suited for the Azerbaijani shelling of Stepanakert. The main kind of artillery used in the bombardment, which began on 10 January 1992, was the Soviet-made BM-21 GRAD multiple rocket launcher, capable of firing 40 rockets in one volley. The BM-21, the descendant of the World War II-era Katyusha, lacked a precision guided missile system. Dubbed the "flying telephone poles" due to their long, shaped charges, the rockets caused devastating damage to buildings over the course of the siege, hitting residential houses, schools, the city's silk factory, and maternity hospital.^[18]

Once the region's Communist Party headquarters and largest city with a population of 70,000, the fighting and shelling had driven away nearly 20,000 of Stepanakert's residents and forced the remainder to live underground in basements. By one tally recorded in early April, a total of 157 rockets had landed on the city in a single day.^[19] By early 1992 the bombing intensified. In a course of a week 1,000 shells (800 of which were reactive) fell on the city. On 23 February, ten servicemen in the Russian-led CIS 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment (part of the 23rd Motor Rifle Division, 4th Army), headquartered in Stepanakert and tasked with maintaining peace between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis, were injured and one killed.^[20]

Altogether, over 2,000 civilians were killed and thousands more injured in the bombardment in 1992. The city's infrastructure was pulverized with the destruction of sewage networks, water pipes, gas and electricity.^[21] In an article that appeared in Time in April 1992, it was noted that "scarcely a single building [had] escaped damage in Stepanakert."^[19]

Aside from shelling the city, the Azerbaijani military also launched aerial sorties and staged several ground attacks on the outskirts of Stepanakert. While these were beaten by the city's defenders, Stepanakert's leaders believed that military action had to be taken to relieve it finally from the continuous bombardment. On April 27, the military leaders' plans were approved to move in and capture Shusha.

The battle

Preparation

Colonel-General Gurgen Dalibaltayan, along with Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, led the planning for the seizure of Shusha. All military factors favored the Azerbaijan army. The Azerbaijanis held advantage in terms of both quantity and the quality of military equipment; they held a numerical superiority and the high ground. The strategic heights commanded by Shusha meant the town could be more easily defended. Dalibaltayan, therefore, ruled out a direct frontal assault. Furthermore, according to military conventions and practices, for the operation to be successful, the attacking party should outnumber the defenders by at least a 3:1 ratio (even more when attacking an above-elevation target), while the NKR detachments simply did not have such manpower at the time.^[22]^{[unreliable source?]} Instead, in conjunction with Ter-Tadevosyan (known among his troops as Komandos), who was tasked to lead the assault, they devised a strategy of launching several diversionary attacks against the adjacent villages to draw out the town's defenders. In the meantime, their forces would encircle and cut off the town from further reinforcements.^[15]

Order of battle

The plan was put together in March–April 1992, after intelligence on the location, positions and the number of the rival forces had been collected. L. Martirosov had a mock-up of Shusha area made, enabling the commanders to outline their actions and directions. The plan was developed in top secrecy. On 28 April the main directions of the operation, the commanders, the resources at hand were finalized.^[23]

The plan of attack was signed off on 4 May 1992. In its final form, it defined its objects accordingly:

1. The enemy holds the surrounding positions

In Shushi elevations with a human resource of 1,200,

In Zarslu – about 100,

In Lisagor – about 300–350,

In Kesalar – about 300.

2. Our task is to:

a) Defeat the enemy in Lisagor, Zaralu, Janasan, Karagyav;

b) Defeat the enemy at Shusha approaches, to seize Shushi and to free the city from the Greens (codename for the enemy);

c) Further advance to Berdadzor and free the Berdadzor district from the Greens;

d) The enemy has concentrated its main forces in Kesalar, Lisagor, Zarslu, in the environs of Shushi, and encircled the whole city. The way to defeat the enemy is to seize High Point N and take position there.

After the regrouping of forces, advance on to Lisagor and Zarslu and to immediately start the attack in four directions:

a) Direction of Shosh (eastern), commander – A. Karapetyan

b) Direction of "26" (northern), commander – V. Chitchyan

c) Lachin direction /southern), commander – S. Babayan

d) Kesalar direction (north-eastern), commander – Seyran Ohanyan,

Commander of reserve troops – Y. Hovhannisyan
To defeat the enemy from the Stepanakert side and Shusha's three sides, then to destroy the enemy and liberate Shushi.^[23]

Prior to the assault, Ter-Tadevosyan's forces opened up with an artillery bombardment from several directions, softening up the town's defenses.^[24] Since late February, the Azerbaijani military had been reinforcing Shusha and ammunition, and had been shuttling in helicopters to evacuate the town's civilian population. The attack was to start on 4 May, but for a number of reasons (lack of ammunition, adverse weather conditions, etc.)^[23] it was delayed. On 8 May, Armenian forces had amassed a force of nearly 1,000 fighters to begin the assault.

The offensive

In the twilight hours of 8 May, Ter-Tadevosyan directed his forces to assail Shusha from different directions and attack it from the flanks and its rear, avoding the ridge facing Stepanakert (the town's most easily defendable location). The force was divided into five companies, four of which (under the command of Arkady Karapetyan, Valery Chitchyan, Samvel Babayan and Seyran Ohanyan) would attack from different directions, and the fifth (under command of Yura Ovanisyan) would remain as reserve in case any of the groups needed immediate reinforcement. The main contingent of the attacking force was primarily infantry, but was complemented by at least four tanks and two attack helicopters.

Entrenched in Shusha was the Azerbaijani commander Elbrus Orujev, who commanded a force of several hundred men and tanks. Orujev's men were bolstered by a Chechen volunteer contingent led by guerrilla warlord Shamil Basayev, who were among the last to leave the city.^[25] Due to the proximity of the attacking forces, the BM-21s were of no advantage to the defenders.

Orujev's forces managed to fend off the first Armenians who scaled the town's cliffs. By mid-day, the fighting in Shusha escalated into a full-scale engagement, as both sides were involved in fierce combat amid Shusha's battered streets and communications tower.^[26] A famous tank battle took place between the two sides when an Armenian T-72, the first to enter Shusha, encountered its Azerbaijani counterpart on the northern approach to the town. The two exchanged fire, and the Armenian tank, manned by Gagik Avsharyan, was hit by several rounds and knocked out of commission. Two of the tank's crew members were killed but Avsharyan survived.^[27] By the evening of 8 May, Armenian forces had destroyed three BM-21s and captured the remainder of the battery. Within several hours, the defenders were forced to retreat to the town's southernmost tip.

By 9 May the Armenian forces were firmly in control of Shusha. At the battle-scarred Ghazanchetsots Cathedral they found that the Azerbaijanis had converted it into a storage depot for BM-21 rockets. Overwhelmed by the attacking force, Orujev ordered his forces to retreat and abandon the citadel. Casualty counts were estimated to have been over a hundred on both sides.^[7] After capture of the town, the city was looted and burnt by aggrieved Armenian civilians from nearby Stepanakert, who had endured months of bombing and shelling from Azerbaijani forces.^[28]

According to the claims of former Azerbaijani residents, some of the shelling was either indiscriminate or intentionally aimed at civilian targets.^[29]

Political fallout

Writer Markar Melkonian, brother of Nagorno Karabakh commander Monte Melkonian, would later write that "the capture of Shusha would go down in the annals of local lore as the most glorious victory" in the first half of the war.^[30]

The capture of Shusha saw an influx of Armenians from Stepanakert and elsewhere in Karabakh moving to the town. Several days after the assault, Armenian forces launched an attack in the region of Lachin and opened up a 8-kilometer corridor connecting the enclave to Armenia proper. The assault prompted two attacks by Azerbaijan's military. One attempted to retake Shusha on 11 May and the other, farther south, in Martuni. Despite earlier claims made by Azerbaijan's defense ministry to having taken back Shusha, the counterattacks. On the Armenian defended front in Martuni, Armenian forces also turned back an Azerbaijani assault, inflicting heavy losses.^[30]

On the day of the Armenian victory, Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan and then acting Azerbaijani president Yagub Mamedov were present in Tehran, Iran to sign a cease-fire agreement. News of the Armenian offensive led Mamedov to accuse Armenia of failing to honor the cease-fire. Ter-Petrosyan, however, contested that he was unable to control what the Armenians in Karabakh were planning. The loss of Shusha later led to mass demonstrations in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku against newly reinstated president Ayaz Mütallibov. Charged for failing to defend the cities of Shusha on 9th and later Lachin on 18th, he was forced to step down. Many Azerbaijanis greeted the news of the town's capture with disbelief: the town had been the birthplace for Azerbaijani composers, poets and musicians and many were convinced it had been betrayed or sold for political purposes.^[31] In a television interview in 2000, Basayev dismissed these theories and contended that the town's defenders had simply abandoned their positions.^[32]

The city was for a time one of the central items involved in the negotiating process in peace talks held from 1994 to 2020.^[33]

Turkey's involvement

The seizure of the town prompted loud complaints from neighboring Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel said that he was under intense public pressure to send military help to Azerbaijan. Demirel, however, did not heed their calls amid heightening tension with Russia. In May 1992, the commander of the CIS forces in the Caucasus, Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, warned that any Turkish incursion would lead to "the verge of a third world war, and that cannot be allowed."^[34] The Armenian victory in Shusha had many Turkish officials accusing Armenia of seeking to invade next the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan.^{[citation needed]}

Because of international pressure, Turkey was ostensibly restricted to providing economic support to Azerbaijan. Nonetheless, the Turkish army and intelligence services launched undercover operations to supply Azerbaijan with arms and military personnel. According to Turkish sources, over 350 high-ranking officers and thousands of volunteers from Turkey participated in the warfare on the Azerbaijani side.^{[citation needed]} Western authors reported several major shipments of weapons from Turkey, including bringing an arsenal of Soviet-made arms from the former East Germany.^[35]

Simultaneously, Turkey was engaged in overt intimidation of Armenia.^{[citation needed]} On the international stage it lobbied various organizations and promoted a pro-Azerbaijani bent of mediation and conflict resolution efforts. Turkish diplomats organized "Turkic Summits" for Turkic nations that included Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to convince the leaders of the Central Asian countries to sever economic ties with Armenia and condemn its military involvement in Nagorno Karabakh.^[35]

Commemorations

After the war ended, Avsharyan's T-72 tank was recovered and repaired and was installed as a monument in Shusha. 9 May is now celebrated in Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as "The Day of the NKR's Defence Army" and "Shushi Liberation Day," respectively. ^[36] A commendation medal was also awarded by the government to those Armenians who participated in the battle.^{[citation needed]} On 22 September 2023, after the Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan dismantled the tank monument.^[37]

Fifteenth anniversary

On 9 May 2007, Armenia and the NKR celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the town's capture. The festivities included a military parade in Renaissance Square in Stepanakert and a cross-country marathon organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation's youth wing that began from Armenia and ended in Shusha during the run up to 9 May. During the processions, then president of the NKR Arkadi Ghukasyan, reiterated the point that the citizens of the republic would have the final say over their future.^[38]

The parade was headed by the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army's first deputy commander, Major General Movses Hakobyan. Attendants of it included veterans of the battle and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and veterans from the Second World War since 9 May also marks Victory in Europe day.^{[citation needed]}

In Armenia, prime minister Serzh Sargsyan inaugurated the naming of a square in the capital of Yerevan after Shusha.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Referred to by Armenians as Liberation of Shushi (Armenian: Շուշիի ազատագրում Shushii azatagrum) or Operation Wedding in the Mountains (Armenian: «Հարսանիք լեռներում» ռազմագործողություն)^[11] and by Azerbaijanis as the Occupation of Shusha (Azerbaijani: Şuşanın işğalı)

^ ^a ^b ^c Askerov, Ali, ed. (2018). Contemporary Russo–Turkish Relations: From Crisis to Cooperation. Lexington Books. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-4985-5323-0. Indeed, Chechen fighters did aid Azerbaijani forces in their fight against Armenians. Most notably, Shamil Bassaev and Salman Raduev, the notorious rebel Chechen field commanders and warlords, alongside their troops, were involved in the battle of Shusha in 1992, which ended with Armenian victory.
^ de Waal, Thomas (2003). Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War. New York: New York University Press. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-8147-1945-9. In May, when Shushi had been captured and the siege lifted, Stepanakert was a shattered town.
^ Altstadt, Audrey L. (2015). Ethnic Conflict in the Post-Soviet World: Case Studies and Analysis. Routledge. p. 247. ISBN 9781317470991. When Armenian forces took Shushi in May 1992, they established a land corridor across undisputed Azerbaijani land, taking the town of Lachin...
^ (in Russian) "The Battle and Capture of Shusha." An interview with General Gurgen Dalibaltayan.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Aslanyan, Hasmik; Melikbekyan, Gegham (May 8, 2012). Շուշիի ազատագրումը կամ "Հարսանիքը լեռներում". Yerevan University (in Armenian). Yerevan State University. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Շուշիի ազատագրման մարտերում հայկական կողմն ունեցավ 47 զոհ, հակառակորդը` 150–200 սպանված, շուրջ 300 վիրավոր, 13 գերի: Ադրբեջանական բանակը Շուշիում թողել էր հրետանային 6 կայանք, մի քանի հազար հրթիռ ու արկ:{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ (in Russian) Melik-Shahnazarov, Arsen. "Нагорный Карабах: факты против лжи
^ ^a ^b ^c The commanders of the battle give conflicting data: in an interview, Ter-Tadevosyan stated that his forces lost 58 men in contrast to the Azerbaijanis' 200, while Orujev claims that the Armenian casualty count was much higher and estimates his own losses at 159 dead and 22 missing in action: see De Waal, Black Garden, p. 314.
^ Rafiqoğlu, Aqşin (6 May 2010). "Şuşanın işğalı ilə bağlı beynəlxalq təşkilatlara bəyanat ünvanlanıb" [A statement was made to international organizations on the occupation of Shusha] (in Azerbaijani). ANS Press. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
^ "Шуша – цитадель Карабаха: почему она важна для азербайджанцев и армян" [Shusha is the citadel of Karabakh: why is it important for Azerbaijanis and Armenians]. BBC Russian Service (in Russian). 7 November 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
^ Amirbayov, Elchin (December 2001). "Shusha's Pivotal Role in a Nagorno-Karabagh Settlement". In Shaffer, Brenda (ed.). Policy Brief Number 6. Cambridge, MA: Caspian Studies Program, Harvard University. "BCSIA - Publication - Shusha's Pivotal Role in a Nagorno-Karabagh Settlement". Archived from the original on 1 September 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
^ "Shusha: 20 years of peace". PanARMENIAN.Net. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
^ Chorbajian, Levon (2001). The Making of Nagorno-Karabagh: From Secession to Republic. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, p. 141 ISBN 0-333-77340-3
^ Durch, William J (ed.) (1996). UN Peacekeeping, American Politics, and the Uncivil Wars of the 1990s. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 444 ISBN 0-312-12930-0
^ United States Congress. Implementation of the Helsinki Accords: Hearing Before the Commission on Security and Cooperation. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. US GPO, 1993 p. 81.
^ ^a ^b De Waal, Thomas (2003). Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War. New York: New York University Press, pp. 177–178.
^ Novoye Vremya 10.10.15 “Нам сказали, что азербайджанцы придут и перебьют нас. А мы им ответили: “Пусть придут” Archived 8 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine
^ 'Tis Some Poor Fellow's Skull: Post-Soviet Warfare in the Southern Caucasus. by Patrick Wilson Gore, iUniverse 2008
^ Wines, Michael (27 May 2001). "Trying to Tell a Truce From a War". New York Times. p. 1.8. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
^ ^a ^b Carney, James (13 April 1992). "Carnage in Karabakh". Time. Retrieved 10 September 2006.
^ (in French) Davidian, David. CRDA – VIII – Karabagh: Situations militaro-diplomatique Archived 13 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Centre de Recherhes sur la Diaspora Arménienne. Retrieved 26 December 2006.
^ Melkonian, Markar (2005). My Brother's Road: An American's Fateful Journey to Armenia. New York: I.B. Tauris, p. 205.
^ Spirit and Faith "Nagorno-Karabakh War" – Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, Arkady Karapetyan and Jirayr Sefilian narrates the preparations for the battle and the details of the operation
^ ^a ^b ^c "Walls of Shusha". Archived from the original on 4 June 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ Melkonian. My Brother's Road, p. 218.
^ De Waal. Black Garden, p. 179. Basayev would later remark that the only defeat he and his unit had suffered had been against the Armenians in Karabakh against the "Dashnak battalion."
^ Dahlburg, John Thor (9 May 1992). "Armenians Attack Karabakh City". Los Angeles Times. p. 29. Retrieved 11 September 2006.
^ De Waal. Black Garden, pp. 178 – 179. The commander of the Azerbaijani tank, Albert Agarunov, a Baku Jew, was killed several days later and was eventually hailed as a hero in Azerbaijan.
^ de Waal, Thomas (10 May 2002). "Shusha Armenians Recall Their Bittersweet Victory". Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
^ Rachel Denber, Robert K. Goldman, Helsinki Watch. Bloodshed in the Caucasus: escalation of the armed conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights Watch, 1992, p. 31
^ ^a ^b Melkonian. My Brother's Road, p. 219.
^ Goltz, Thomas (1998). Azerbaijan Diary: A Rogue Reporter's Adventures in an Oil-Rich, War-Torn, Post-Soviet Republic. New York: M.E. Sharpe, p. 185. .
^ De Waal. Black Garden, p. 181.
^ Bertsch, Gary (1999). Crossroads and Conflict: Security and Foreign Policy in the Caucasus and Central Asia. London: Routledge, p. 170.
^ Goldberg, Carey. "Turkey warned of 'world war'." Toronto Star. 21 May 1992. p. A18. Retrieved 12 September 2006.
^ ^a ^b Demoyan, Hayk. "Turkey and the Karabakh Conflict." ArmenianHouse.
^ Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Holidays and Memorable Days of the NKR Archived 22 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
^ "Tank monument at Azerbaijan's Shusha entrance dismantled [VIDEOS]". Azernews. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
^ Danielyan, Emin. "Karabakh Leader Demands ‘Final Say’ In Peace Talks." RFE/RL. 9 May 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007.

External links

[12] Referred to by Armenians as Liberation of Shushi (Armenian: Շուշիի ազատագրում Shushii azatagrum) or Operation Wedding in the Mountains (Armenian: «Հարսանիք լեռներում» ռազմագործողություն)^[11] and by Azerbaijanis as the Occupation of Shusha (Azerbaijani: Şuşanın işğalı)

[Chechen-1] Askerov, Ali, ed. (2018). Contemporary Russo–Turkish Relations: From Crisis to Cooperation. Lexington Books. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-4985-5323-0. Indeed, Chechen fighters did aid Azerbaijani forces in their fight against Armenians. Most notably, Shamil Bassaev and Salman Raduev, the notorious rebel Chechen field commanders and warlords, alongside their troops, were involved in the battle of Shusha in 1992, which ended with Armenian victory.

[2] Waal, Thomas (2003). Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War. New York: New York University Press. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-8147-1945-9. In May, when Shushi had been captured and the siege lifted, Stepanakert was a shattered town.

[3] Altstadt, Audrey L. (2015). Ethnic Conflict in the Post-Soviet World: Case Studies and Analysis. Routledge. p. 247. ISBN 9781317470991. When Armenian forces took Shushi in May 1992, they established a land corridor across undisputed Azerbaijani land, taking the town of Lachin...

[4] (in Russian) "The Battle and Capture of Shusha." An interview with General Gurgen Dalibaltayan.

[ysu-5] Aslanyan, Hasmik; Melikbekyan, Gegham (May 8, 2012). Շուշիի ազատագրումը կամ "Հարսանիքը լեռներում". Yerevan University (in Armenian). Yerevan State University. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Շուշիի ազատագրման մարտերում հայկական կողմն ունեցավ 47 զոհ, հակառակորդը` 150–200 սպանված, շուրջ 300 վիրավոր, 13 գերի: Ադրբեջանական բանակը Շուշիում թողել էր հրետանային 6 կայանք, մի քանի հազար հրթիռ ու արկ:{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[6] (in Russian) Melik-Shahnazarov, Arsen. "Нагорный Карабах: факты против лжи

[Azerbaijanis_p._314-7] The commanders of the battle give conflicting data: in an interview, Ter-Tadevosyan stated that his forces lost 58 men in contrast to the Azerbaijanis' 200, while Orujev claims that the Armenian casualty count was much higher and estimates his own losses at 159 dead and 22 missing in action: see De Waal, Black Garden, p. 314.

[ANS_Press-8] Rafiqoğlu, Aqşin (6 May 2010). "Şuşanın işğalı ilə bağlı beynəlxalq təşkilatlara bəyanat ünvanlanıb" [A statement was made to international organizations on the occupation of Shusha] (in Azerbaijani). ANS Press. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

[firstcapture-9] "Шуша – цитадель Карабаха: почему она важна для азербайджанцев и армян" [Shusha is the citadel of Karabakh: why is it important for Azerbaijanis and Armenians]. BBC Russian Service (in Russian). 7 November 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.

[demographics-10] Amirbayov, Elchin (December 2001). "Shusha's Pivotal Role in a Nagorno-Karabagh Settlement". In Shaffer, Brenda (ed.). Policy Brief Number 6. Cambridge, MA: Caspian Studies Program, Harvard University. "BCSIA - Publication - Shusha's Pivotal Role in a Nagorno-Karabagh Settlement". Archived from the original on 1 September 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2020.

[11] "Shusha: 20 years of peace". PanARMENIAN.Net. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2013.

[13] Chorbajian, Levon (2001). The Making of Nagorno-Karabagh: From Secession to Republic. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, p. 141 ISBN 0-333-77340-3

[14] Durch, William J (ed.) (1996). UN Peacekeeping, American Politics, and the Uncivil Wars of the 1990s. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 444 ISBN 0-312-12930-0

[15] United States Congress. Implementation of the Helsinki Accords: Hearing Before the Commission on Security and Cooperation. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. US GPO, 1993 p. 81.

[waal-16] De Waal, Thomas (2003). Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War. New York: New York University Press, pp. 177–178.

[17] Novoye Vremya 10.10.15 “Нам сказали, что азербайджанцы придут и перебьют нас. А мы им ответили: “Пусть придут” Archived 8 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine

[18] 'Tis Some Poor Fellow's Skull: Post-Soviet Warfare in the Southern Caucasus. by Patrick Wilson Gore, iUniverse 2008

[19] Wines, Michael (27 May 2001). "Trying to Tell a Truce From a War". New York Times. p. 1.8. Retrieved 14 March 2007.

[Time-20] Carney, James (13 April 1992). "Carnage in Karabakh". Time. Retrieved 10 September 2006.

[21] (in French) Davidian, David. CRDA – VIII – Karabagh: Situations militaro-diplomatique Archived 13 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Centre de Recherhes sur la Diaspora Arménienne. Retrieved 26 December 2006.

[22] Melkonian, Markar (2005). My Brother's Road: An American's Fateful Journey to Armenia. New York: I.B. Tauris, p. 205.

[23] Spirit and Faith "Nagorno-Karabakh War" – Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, Arkady Karapetyan and Jirayr Sefilian narrates the preparations for the battle and the details of the operation

[Walls-24] "Walls of Shusha". Archived from the original on 4 June 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

[25] Melkonian. My Brother's Road, p. 218.

[26] De Waal. Black Garden, p. 179. Basayev would later remark that the only defeat he and his unit had suffered had been against the Armenians in Karabakh against the "Dashnak battalion."

[27] Dahlburg, John Thor (9 May 1992). "Armenians Attack Karabakh City". Los Angeles Times. p. 29. Retrieved 11 September 2006.

[28] De Waal. Black Garden, pp. 178 – 179. The commander of the Azerbaijani tank, Albert Agarunov, a Baku Jew, was killed several days later and was eventually hailed as a hero in Azerbaijan.

[29] Waal, Thomas (10 May 2002). "Shusha Armenians Recall Their Bittersweet Victory". Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.

[30] Rachel Denber, Robert K. Goldman, Helsinki Watch. Bloodshed in the Caucasus: escalation of the armed conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights Watch, 1992, p. 31

[Melkonian219-31] Melkonian. My Brother's Road, p. 219.

[32] Goltz, Thomas (1998). Azerbaijan Diary: A Rogue Reporter's Adventures in an Oil-Rich, War-Torn, Post-Soviet Republic. New York: M.E. Sharpe, p. 185. .

[33] De Waal. Black Garden, p. 181.

[34] Bertsch, Gary (1999). Crossroads and Conflict: Security and Foreign Policy in the Caucasus and Central Asia. London: Routledge, p. 170.

[35] Goldberg, Carey. "Turkey warned of 'world war'." Toronto Star. 21 May 1992. p. A18. Retrieved 12 September 2006.

[Demoyan-36] Demoyan, Hayk. "Turkey and the Karabakh Conflict." ArmenianHouse.

[37] Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Holidays and Memorable Days of the NKR Archived 22 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine.

[38] "Tank monument at Azerbaijan's Shusha entrance dismantled [VIDEOS]". Azernews. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.

[39] Danielyan, Emin. "Karabakh Leader Demands ‘Final Say’ In Peace Talks." RFE/RL. 9 May 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Battle in 1992, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War}}
-{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}
+{{about|the 1992 battle|the 2020 battle|Battle of Shusha (2020)}}
-{{coord|39|45.5|N|46|44.9|E|display=title|type:event_scale:20000}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
+{{Coord|39|45.5|N|46|44.9|E|display=title|type:event_scale:20000}}
 {{Infobox military conflict
-| conflict    = Occupation of Shusha
+| conflict          = Battle of Shusha (Shushi)
-| image       = Shushi tank memorial-DCP 3043.JPG
+| image             = Shusha tank former memorial 02.jpg
-| image_size  = 300px
+| image_size        = 300px
-| caption     = Gagik Avsharyan's restored [[T-72]] tank stands as a memorial commemorating the Liberation of Shushi.
+| caption           = Gagik Avsharyan's restored [[T-72]] tank commemorating the capture of Shusha
-| partof      = the [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]]
+| partof            = the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]]
-| place       = [[Shusha]], Nagorno-Karabakh
+| place             = [[Shushi]]
-| date        = May 8–9, 1992
+| date              = 8–9 May 1992
-| result      = Decisive Armenian victory
+| result            = Armenian victory
-*[[Siege of Stepanakert]] ended<ref>{{cite book|last=de Waal|first=Thomas|title=[[Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War]]|year=2003|publisher=New York University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8147-1945-9|authorlink=Thomas de Waal|p=175|quote=In May, when Shusha had been captured and the siege lifted, Stepanakert was a shattered town.}}</ref>
+*[[Siege of Stepanakert]] ended<ref>{{cite book|last=de Waal|first=Thomas|title=[[Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War]]|year=2003|publisher=New York University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8147-1945-9|author-link=Thomas de Waal|page=175|quote=In May, when Shushi had been captured and the siege lifted, Stepanakert was a shattered town.}}</ref>
-*[[Lachin corridor|Land corridor]] with Armenia secured<ref>{{cite book|last1=Altstadt|first1=Audrey L.|title=Ethnic Conflict in the Post-Soviet World: Case Studies and Analysis|date=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317470991|page=[https://books.google.am/books?id=AWnxBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA247&dq=shusha+1992+armenian+land+corridor 247]|quote=When Armenian forces took Shusha in May 1992, they established a land corridor across undisputed Azerbaijani land, taking the town of Lachin...}}</ref>
+*[[Lachin corridor|Land corridor]] with Armenia secured<ref>{{cite book|last1=Altstadt|first1=Audrey L.|title=Ethnic Conflict in the Post-Soviet World: Case Studies and Analysis|date=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317470991|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AWnxBwAAQBAJ&dq=shusha+1992+armenian+land+corridor&pg=PA247 247]|quote=When Armenian forces took Shushi in May 1992, they established a land corridor across undisputed Azerbaijani land, taking the town of Lachin...}}</ref>
-| combatant1  = {{flag|Nagorno-Karabakh}} <br />{{flag|Armenia}}
+| combatant1        = {{flag|Nagorno-Karabakh}}<br/>{{flag|Armenia}}
+| combatant2        = {{flag|Azerbaijan}}<br/>{{flagicon|Chechen Republic of Ichkeria}} [[Chechens|Chechen]] militants<ref name="Chechen">{{cite book |editor-last=Askerov |editor-first=Ali |year=2018 |title=Contemporary Russo–Turkish Relations: From Crisis to Cooperation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X4ZeDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA131 |publisher=[[Lexington Books]] |page=131 |isbn=978-1-4985-5323-0 |quote=Indeed, Chechen fighters did aid Azerbaijani forces in their fight against Armenians. Most notably, Shamil Bassaev and Salman Raduev, the notorious rebel Chechen field commanders and warlords, alongside their troops, were involved in the battle of Shusha in 1992, which ended with Armenian victory.}}</ref>
-| combatant2  = {{flag|Azerbaijan}} <br>{{flagicon|Chechen Republic of Ichkeria}} [[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria|Chechen]] militants
-| commander1  = {{flagicon|Nagorno-Karabakh}} [[Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan]] <br> {{flagicon|Nagorno-Karabakh}} [[Samvel Babayan]]<br> {{flagicon|Nagorno-Karabakh}} [[Seyran Ohanyan]]<br />{{flagicon|Armenia}} [[Gurgen Dalibaltayan]] <br> {{flagicon|Armenia}} [[Jirair Sefilian]]
+| commander1        = {{flagicon|Nagorno-Karabakh}} [[Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan]]<br/>{{flagicon|Nagorno-Karabakh}} [[Samvel Babayan]]<br/>{{flagicon|Nagorno-Karabakh}} [[Seyran Ohanyan]]<br/>{{flagicon|Armenia}} [[Gurgen Dalibaltayan]]<br/>{{flagicon|Armenia}} [[Jirair Sefilian]]<br/>{{flagicon|Armenia}} [[Vardan Stepanyan]]
-| commander2  = {{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} [[Elbrus Orujev]] <br> {{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} [[Elkhan Orujev]] <br> {{flagicon|Chechen Republic of Ichkeria}} [[Shamil Basayev]] <br> {{flagicon|Chechen Republic of Ichkeria}} [[Khunkar-Pasha Israpilov]]
+| commander2        = {{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} [[Rahim Gaziyev]]<br/>{{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} [[Elbrus Orujev]]<br/>{{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} [[Elkhan Orujev]]<br/>{{flagicon|Chechen Republic of Ichkeria}} [[Shamil Basayev]]<ref name="Chechen"/><br/>{{flagicon|Chechen Republic of Ichkeria}} [[Salman Raduyev]]<ref name="Chechen"/>
-| strength1   = 1,000–1800 troops<br />4 tanks<br />2 [[Mil Mi-24]] helicopters
+| strength1         = 1,000–1,800 troops<br/>4 tanks<br/>2 [[Mil Mi-24]] helicopters
-| strength2   = 2,500 troops BM-21 Grad artillery <br> Several tanks
+| strength2         = 2,500 troops<br/>Several tanks<br/>BM-21 Grad artillery
-| casualties1 = 35,<ref>{{in lang|ru}} "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SKZXTa-vPc The Battle and Capture of Shushi]." An interview with General Gurgen Dalibaltayan.</ref> 47,<ref name="ysu"/> 50,<ref>{{in lang|ru}} Melik-Shahnazarov, Arsen. "[http://www.sumgait.info/caucasus-conflicts/nagorno-karabakh-facts/nagorno-karabakh-facts-14.htm Нагорный Карабах: факты против лжи]</ref> or 58<ref name="Azeris p. 314"/> KIA
+| casualties1       = 35–58 killed<ref>{{in lang|ru}} "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SKZXTa-vPc The Battle and Capture of Shusha]." An interview with General Gurgen Dalibaltayan.</ref><ref name="ysu"/><ref>{{in lang|ru}} Melik-Shahnazarov, Arsen. "[http://www.sumgait.info/caucasus-conflicts/nagorno-karabakh-facts/nagorno-karabakh-facts-14.htm Нагорный Карабах: факты против лжи]</ref><ref name="Azerbaijanis p. 314"/>
+| casualties2       = 150–200 killed<ref name="ysu"/><ref name="Azerbaijanis p. 314"/><br/>300 wounded<ref name="ysu"/><br/>13<ref name="ysu"/>–68<ref name="ANS Press">{{cite news |last= Rafiqoğlu |first= Aqşin |date= 6 May 2010 |title= Şuşanın işğalı ilə bağlı beynəlxalq təşkilatlara bəyanat ünvanlanıb |trans-title= A statement was made to international organizations on the occupation of Shusha |language= az |url= http://www.anspress.com/siyaset/06-05-2010/susanin-isgali-ile-bagli-beynelxalq-teskilatlara-beyanat-unvanlanib |location= ANS Press |access-date= 21 November 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044532/http://www.anspress.com/siyaset/06-05-2010/susanin-isgali-ile-bagli-beynelxalq-teskilatlara-beyanat-unvanlanib |archive-date= 1 December 2017 |url-status= dead }}</ref> POW
-| casualties2 = 150–200 KIA<ref name="ysu"/><ref name="Azeris p. 314"/><br />300 WIA<ref name="ysu"/><br />
+| casualties3       = ~15,000 Azerbaijanis displaced<ref name="firstcapture">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/russian/features-54796981 |title=Шуша – цитадель Карабаха: почему она важна для азербайджанцев и армян |trans-title=Shusha is the citadel of Karabakh: why is it important for Azerbaijanis and Armenians |date=7 November 2020 |access-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201109161012/https://www.bbc.com/russian/features-54796981 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |work=[[BBC Russian Service]] |language=ru }}</ref><ref name="demographics">{{Cite book |last=Amirbayov |first=Elchin |chapter=Shusha's Pivotal Role in a Nagorno-Karabagh Settlement |editor-first=Brenda |editor-last=Shaffer |title=Policy Brief Number 6 |location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=Caspian Studies Program, Harvard University |date=December 2001}} {{cite web |url=http://bcsia.ksg.harvard.edu/publication.cfm?program=CORE&ctype=paper&item_id=124 |title=BCSIA - Publication - Shusha's Pivotal Role in a Nagorno-Karabagh Settlement |access-date=8 November 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901225059/http://bcsia.ksg.harvard.edu/publication.cfm?program=CORE&ctype=paper&item_id=124 |archive-date=1 September 2006 }}</ref>
-<ref name="ysu"/>–68<ref name = "ANS Press">{{cite news |last= Rafiqoğlu |first= Aqşin |date= 6 May 2010 |title= Şuşanın işğalı ilə bağlı beynəlxalq təşkilatlara bəyanat ünvanlanıb |trans-title= A statement was made to international organizations on the occupation of Shusha |language= az |url= http://www.anspress.com/siyaset/06-05-2010/susanin-isgali-ile-bagli-beynelxalq-teskilatlara-beyanat-unvanlanib |work=  |location= ANS Press |access-date= 21 November 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044532/http://www.anspress.com/siyaset/06-05-2010/susanin-isgali-ile-bagli-beynelxalq-teskilatlara-beyanat-unvanlanib |archive-date= December 1, 2017 |url-status= dead }}</ref> POW<br />
+| notes             = |
-civilians killed (Azerbaijani claims)<ref name = "ANS Press"/>
-| notes       = |
 }}
-{{Campaignbox Nagorno-Karabakh War}}
+{{Campaignbox First Nagorno-Karabakh War}}
+The '''Battle of Shusha'''{{efn|Referred to by Armenians as '''Liberation of Shushi''' ({{Langx|hy|Շուշիի ազատագրում}} ''Shushii azatagrum'') or '''Operation Wedding in the Mountains''' ({{langx|hy|«Հարսանիք լեռներում» ռազմագործողություն}})<ref>{{cite news|title=Shusha: 20 years of peace|url=http://panarmenian.net/m/eng/details/106693|access-date=10 June 2013|date=9 May 2012|agency=[[PanARMENIAN.Net]]}}</ref> and by Azerbaijanis as the '''Occupation of Shusha''' ({{langx|az|Şuşanın işğalı}})}} (Codenamed: Operation Wedding in The Mountains; [[Armenian language|Armenian]]: Հարսանիք լեռներում''',''' ''Harsaniq lernerum;'' [[Russian language|Russian]]: Свадьба в горах, ''Svadba v gorakh)''  ({{langx|hy|Շուշի}}, {{lang|hy-Latn|Shushi}}) was the first significant military victory by [[Armenians|Armenian]] forces during the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]]. The battle took place in the strategically important mountain town of [[Shusha]] on the evening of 8 May 1992, and fighting swiftly concluded the next day after Armenian forces captured it and drove out the defending [[Azerbaijanis]]. Armenian military commanders based in Nagorno-Karabakh's capital of [[Stepanakert]] had been contemplating capturing the town after [[Siege of Stepanakert|Azerbaijani shelling of Stepanakert]] from Shusha for half a year had led to hundreds of Armenian civilian casualties and mass destruction in Stepanakert.
+The capture of the town proved decisive. Shusha was the most important military stronghold that Azerbaijan held in Nagorno-Karabakh – its loss marked a turning point in the war, and led to a series of military victories by Armenian forces in the course of the conflict.<ref>[[Levon Chorbajian|Chorbajian, Levon]] (2001). ''The Making of Nagorno-Karabagh: From Secession to Republic''. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, p. 141 {{ISBN|0-333-77340-3}}</ref>
-The '''Capture of Shusha''', referred to by Armenians as the '''Liberation of Shushi''' ({{Lang-hy|Շուշիի ազատագրում}} ''Shushii azatagrum'') or '''Wedding in the mountains operation''' ({{lang-hy|«Հարսանիքը լեռներում» ռազմագործողություն}}) and by Azerbaijanis as the '''Occupation of Shusha''' ({{lang-az|Şuşanın işğalı}}) was the first significant military victory by [[Armenians|Armenian]] forces during the [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]]. The battle took place in the strategically important mountain town of [[Shusha]] (known as ''Shushi'' to Armenians) on the evening of May 8, 1992, and fighting swiftly concluded the next day after Armenian forces captured it and drove out the defending [[Azerbaijani people|Azeris]]. Armenian military commanders based in Nagorno-Karabakh's capital of [[Stepanakert]] ([[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]]: Xankəndi) had been contemplating the capture of the town after Azeri shelling of Stepanakert.
-It was named "Wedding in the Mountains" by the Armenian commandership.<ref>{{cite news|title=Shushi: 20 years of peace|url=http://panarmenian.net/m/eng/details/106693|accessdate=10 June 2013|date=9 May 2012|agency=[[PanARMENIAN.Net]]}}</ref> The seizure of the town proved decisive. Shusha was the most important military stronghold that Azerbaijan held in Nagorno-Karabakh – its loss marked a turning point in the war, and led to a series of military victories by Armenian forces in the course of the conflict.<ref>[[Levon Chorbajian|Chorbajian, Levon]] (2001). ''The Making of Nagorno-Karabagh: From Secession to Republic''. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, p. 141 {{ISBN|0-333-77340-3}}</ref> However, some of the shelling was, according to the accounts of former residents, either indiscriminate or intentionally aimed at civilian targets.<ref>Rachel Denber, Robert K. Goldman, [[Helsinki Watch]]. ''Bloodshed in the Caucasus: escalation of the armed conflict in Nagorno Karabakh'', [[Human Rights Watch]], 1992, p. 31</ref>
 == Background ==
-{{see|Nagorno-Karabakh conflict}}
+{{Further|Nagorno-Karabakh conflict}}
-In February 1988, Nagorno-Karabakh had been an [[autonomous oblast]] for over sixty years inside the borders of the [[Azerbaijan SSR]]. Following its government's decision to [[secede]] from Azerbaijan and unify with Armenia, the conflict erupted into a larger scale ethnic feud between Armenians and Azeris living in the [[Soviet Union]]. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Armenians and Azeris vied to take control of Karabakh with full-scale battles in the winter of 1992. By then, the enclave had declared its independence and set up an unrecognized, though self-functioning, government.<ref>Durch, William J (ed.) (1996). ''UN Peacekeeping, American Politics, and the Uncivil Wars of the 1990s''. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 444 {{ISBN|0-312-12930-0}}</ref>
+In February 1988, Nagorno-Karabakh had been an [[autonomous oblast]] for over sixty years within the borders of the [[Azerbaijan SSR]], though with a majority [[Armenians|Armenian]] population. Following its government's decision to [[Secession|secede]] from Azerbaijan and re-unify with Armenia, the conflict erupted into a larger scale ethnic feud between Armenians and Azerbaijanis living in the [[Soviet Union]]. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Armenians and Azerbaijanis vied to take control of Karabakh with full-scale battles in the winter of 1992. By then, the enclave had declared its independence and set up an unrecognized, though self-functioning, government.<ref>Durch, William J (ed.) (1996). ''UN Peacekeeping, American Politics, and the Uncivil Wars of the 1990s''. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 444 {{ISBN|0-312-12930-0}}</ref>
-The advanced weaponry of [[tank]]s, [[armored fighting vehicles]], [[fighter jet]]s and [[helicopter gunship]]s bought and used by both sides illustrated the emergence of the free-for-all weapons vacuum that appeared as the Soviet Union disintegrated. A large scale population shift had also been in effect since the conflict began, with most of the Armenians living in Azerbaijan fleeing to Armenia and the Azerbaijanis in Armenia to Azerbaijan. The battle was preceded by the controversial capture of the town and the location of Karabakh's only airport in [[Khojali (city)|Khojaly]] by Armenians in February 1992. With the loss of Khojaly, Azeri commanders concentrated the rest of their firepower upon Stepanakert, which Shusha overlooked.<ref>[[United States Congress]]. ''Implementation of the Helsinki Accords: Hearing Before the Commission on Security and Cooperation''. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. US GPO, 1993 p. 81.</ref>
+The advanced weaponry of tanks, armored fighting vehicles, fighter jets and helicopter gunships deployed by both sides marked the moment of all-out war. Large-scale population movements began as well, with most of the Armenians living in Azerbaijan fleeing to Armenia and the Azerbaijanis in Armenia to Azerbaijan. The battle was preceded by the controversial capture of the town and site of Nagorno-Karabakh's only airport in [[Khojaly (town)|Khojaly]] by Armenians in February 1992. With the loss of Khojaly, Azerbaijani commanders concentrated the rest of their efforts on Stepanakert, overlooked by Shusha.<ref>[[United States Congress]]. ''Implementation of the Helsinki Accords: Hearing Before the Commission on Security and Cooperation''. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. US GPO, 1993 p. 81.</ref>
-On 26 January 1992 the Azerbaijani forces stationed in Shusha encircled and attacked nearby Armenian village Karintak (located on the way from Shusha to Stepanakert) attempting to capture it. This operation was conducted by Azerbaijan's then defence minister Tajedin Mekhtiev and was supposed to prepare ground for future attack on Stepanakert. The operation failed as the villagers and the Armenian fighters strongly retaliated in self-defense. Mekhtiev was ambushed and up to seventy Azeri soldiers died. After this debacle, Mekhtiev left Shusha and was fired as defence minister.<ref name=waal/><ref>Novoye Vremya 10.10.15 [http://nv.am/region/46203-2015-10-10-06-08-47 “Нам сказали, что азербайджанцы придут и перебьют нас. А мы им ответили: “Пусть придут”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208034207/http://nv.am/region/46203-2015-10-10-06-08-47# |date=February 8, 2017 }}</ref><ref>'Tis Some Poor Fellow's Skull: Post-Soviet Warfare in the Southern Caucasus. by Patrick Wilson Gore, iUniverse 2008</ref> The Armenians to date celebrate the self-defence of Karintak as one of their early and most decisive victories.
+On 26 January 1992 Azerbaijani forces stationed in Shusha encircled and attacked the nearby Armenian village of Karintak (located on the way from Shusha to Stepanakert) attempting to capture it. This operation was conducted by Azerbaijan's then defence minister Tajedin Mekhtiev and was meant to prepare the ground for a future attack on Stepanakert. The operation failed amid strenuous resistance put up by villagers and the Armenian fighters. Mekhtiev was ambushed and up to seventy Azerbaijani soldiers died. After this debacle, Mekhtiev left Shusha and was fired as defence minister.<ref name=waal/><ref>Novoye Vremya 10.10.15 [http://nv.am/region/46203-2015-10-10-06-08-47 “Нам сказали, что азербайджанцы придут и перебьют нас. А мы им ответили: “Пусть придут”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208034207/http://nv.am/region/46203-2015-10-10-06-08-47 |date=8 February 2017 }}</ref><ref>'Tis Some Poor Fellow's Skull: Post-Soviet Warfare in the Southern Caucasus. by Patrick Wilson Gore, iUniverse 2008</ref> The Armenians to date celebrate the self-defence of Karintak as one of their early and most decisive victories.
 === Shusha as base for shelling Stepanakert ===
-{{main|Shelling of Stepanakert}}
+{{main|Siege of Stepanakert}}
-Shusha sits on a mountaintop overlooking the [[Nagorno-Karabakh Republic|NKR]]'s highly populated capital, [[Stepanakert]] (just 5&nbsp;km away), from an elevation of 600m. An old fortress with high walls, the town is five kilometers (four miles) to the south of Stepanakert and perched on a mountaintop with limited vehicular access to reach it. From a geographical standpoint Shusha was well-suited for [[Shelling of Stepanakert|Azerbaijani shelling of Stepanakert]]. The main type of artillery used in the bombardment, which began on January 10, 1992, was the Soviet-made [[9K51 Grad|BM-21 GRAD]] [[multiple rocket launcher]], which was capable of firing 40 rockets in one volley. The GRAD launcher was similar to the World War II-era [[Katyusha rocket launcher|Katyusha]] in that it did not have a guided missile system and hence the location of where it would hit was difficult to determine. Dubbed "flying telephone poles" due to their long, shaped charges, the missiles caused devastating damage to buildings including the destruction of residential houses, schools, the city's silk factory and maternity hospital.<ref>{{cite news
+Shusha sits on a mountaintop overlooking the [[Republic of Artsakh|NKR]]'s highly populated capital, [[Stepanakert]] (just 5&nbsp;km away), from an elevation of 600m. An old fortress with high walls, the town is five kilometers (four miles) to the south of Stepanakert and perched on a mountaintop with limited vehicular access. From a geographical standpoint Shusha was well-suited for the [[Siege of Stepanakert|Azerbaijani shelling of Stepanakert]]. The main kind of artillery used in the bombardment, which began on 10 January 1992, was the Soviet-made [[BM-21 Grad|BM-21 GRAD]] [[multiple rocket launcher]], capable of firing 40 rockets in one volley. The BM-21, the descendant of the World War II-era [[Katyusha rocket launcher|Katyusha]], lacked a precision guided missile system. Dubbed the "flying telephone poles" due to their long, shaped charges, the rockets caused devastating damage to buildings over the course of the siege, hitting residential houses, schools, the city's silk factory, and maternity hospital.<ref>{{cite news
   | last = Wines
   | first = Michael
   | title = Trying to Tell a Truce From a War
   | pages = 1.8
-  |work=The New York Times
+  | work = [[New York Times]]
-  | date = May 27, 2001
+  | date = 27 May 2001
   | url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0811F63C580C748EDDAC0894D9404482
-  | accessdate = 2007-03-14}}</ref>
+  | access-date = 2007-03-14}}</ref>
-Shusha was the main fire point from where Stepanakert was assaulted. Once the region's [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] headquarters and largest city with a population of 70,000, the fighting and shelling had driven away nearly 20,000 of Stepanakert's residents and forced the remainder to live underground in basements. By one tally recorded in early April, a total of 157 rockets had landed on the city in a single day.<ref name="TIME"/> By early 1992 the bombing intensified. In a course of one week the city was bombed with over 1,000 shells (800 of which were reactive shells). On February 23, ten servicemen in the [[Russia]]n-led [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment (of the [[8th Cavalry Corps (Soviet Union)#Postwar|23rd Motor Rifle Division]], [[4th Army (Soviet Union)|4th Army]]) headquartered in Stepanakert, tasked with maintaining peace between the Armenians and Azeris, were injured and one was killed in a bombardment by artillery.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} Davidian, David. [http://www.crda-france.org/fr/8environnements/1turc_strategie/karabaghmilitaire.htm CRDA – VIII – Karabagh: Situations militaro-diplomatique] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070213235822/http://www.crda-france.org/fr/8environnements/1turc_strategie/karabaghmilitaire.htm |date=February 13, 2007 }}. Centre de Recherhes sur la Diaspora Arménienne. Retrieved December 26, 2006.</ref>
+Once the region's [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] headquarters and largest city with a population of 70,000, the fighting and shelling had driven away nearly 20,000 of Stepanakert's residents and forced the remainder to live underground in basements. By one tally recorded in early April, a total of 157 rockets had landed on the city in a single day.<ref name="Time"/> By early 1992 the bombing intensified. In a course of a week 1,000 shells (800 of which were reactive) fell on the city. On 23 February, ten servicemen in the [[Russia]]n-led [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment (part of the [[23rd Guards Motor Rifle Division|23rd Motor Rifle Division]], [[4th Army (Soviet Union)|4th Army]]), headquartered in Stepanakert and tasked with maintaining peace between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis, were injured and one killed.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} Davidian, David. [http://www.crda-france.org/fr/8environnements/1turc_strategie/karabaghmilitaire.htm CRDA – VIII – Karabagh: Situations militaro-diplomatique] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070213235822/http://www.crda-france.org/fr/8environnements/1turc_strategie/karabaghmilitaire.htm |date=13 February 2007 }}. Centre de Recherhes sur la Diaspora Arménienne. Retrieved 26 December 2006.</ref>
-Altogether, over 2,000 civilians were killed and thousands more injured in the bombardment in 1992; moreover, the city's infrastructure was completely devastated with the destruction of sewage networks, water pipes, gas and electricity.<ref>[[Markar Melkonian|Melkonian, Markar]] (2005). ''[[My Brother's Road|My Brother's Road: An American's Fateful Journey to Armenia]]''. New York: I.B. Tauris, p. 205. {{ISBN|1-85043-635-5}}.</ref> In an article that appeared in ''[[TIME Magazine|TIME]]'' in April 1992, it was noted that "scarcely a single building [had] escaped damage in Stepanakert."<ref name="TIME">[[Jay Carney|Carney, James]]. "[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975278,00.html Carnage in Karabakh]." ''[[TIME Magazine]]''. April 13, 1992. Retrieved September 10, 2006.</ref>
+Altogether, over 2,000 civilians were killed and thousands more injured in the bombardment in 1992. The city's infrastructure was pulverized with the destruction of sewage networks, water pipes, gas and electricity.<ref>[[Markar Melkonian|Melkonian, Markar]] (2005). ''[[My Brother's Road|My Brother's Road: An American's Fateful Journey to Armenia]]''. New York: I.B. Tauris, p. 205.</ref> In an article that appeared in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' in April 1992, it was noted that "scarcely a single building [had] escaped damage in Stepanakert."<ref name="Time">[[Jay Carney|Carney, James]] (13 April 1992). [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311160137/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975278,00.html "Carnage in Karabakh"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. Retrieved 10 September 2006.</ref>
-In addition to the shelling, the Azeri military also launched air raids and staged several ground attacks on the outskirts of Stepanakert in hopes of later moving on to capture the city itself. While they were staved off numerous times, the city's leaders complained that military action had to be taken to relieve it from the continuous bombardment. On April 27, the military leaders' plans were approved to move in and capture Shusha.
+Aside from shelling the city, the Azerbaijani military also launched aerial sorties and staged several ground attacks on the outskirts of Stepanakert. While these were beaten by the city's defenders, Stepanakert's leaders believed that military action had to be taken to relieve it finally from the continuous bombardment. On April 27, the military leaders' plans were approved to move in and capture Shusha.
 == The battle ==
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 [[File:Ridge Shushi battle.JPG|thumb|right|300px|The road to leading to Shusha where the encounter between Avsharyan's and Agarunov's tanks took place.]]
+Colonel-General [[Gurgen Dalibaltayan]], along with [[Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan]], led the planning for the seizure of Shusha. All military factors favored the Azerbaijan army. The Azerbaijanis held advantage in terms of both quantity and the quality of military equipment; they held a numerical superiority and the high ground. The strategic heights commanded by Shusha meant the town could be more easily defended. Dalibaltayan, therefore, ruled out a direct frontal assault. Furthermore, according to military conventions and practices, for the operation to be successful, the attacking party should outnumber the defenders by at least a 3:1 ratio (even more when attacking an above-elevation target), while the NKR detachments simply did not have such manpower at the time.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kej5d5c4P0 Spirit and Faith "Nagorno-Karabakh War" – Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, Arkady Karapetyan and Jirayr Sefilian narrates the preparations for the battle and the details of the operation]</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=December 2011}} Instead, in conjunction with Ter-Tadevosyan (known among his troops as Komandos), who was tasked to lead the assault, they devised a strategy of launching several diversionary attacks against the adjacent villages to draw out the town's defenders. In the meantime, their forces would encircle and cut off the town from further reinforcements.<ref name=waal>De Waal, Thomas (2003). ''Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War''. New York: New York University Press, pp. 177–178. </ref>
-Planning for the military operation began under the auspices of Colonel-General [[Gurgen Dalibaltayan]] with guidance from [[Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan]]. All of the military factors were in favor of the [[Azerbaijani Armed Forces|Azeri Army]]. The Azeris had advantage in terms of the quantity and the quality of military equipment; they held a numerical superiority; and also held the high ground and, due to the strategic position of Shusha, the town could be easily defended. Therefore, a direct attack by Armenian forces was not a viable option for Dalibaltayan. Furthermore, according to military conventions and practices, for the operation to be successful, the attacking party should outnumber the defenders by at least 3 – 4 times (even more when attacking an elevation), while the [[Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army|NKR Detachments]] simply did not have such manpower at the time.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kej5d5c4P0 Spirit and Faith "Nagorno-Karabakh War" – Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, Arkady Karapetyan and Jirayr Sefilian narrate the preparations for the battle and the details of the operation]</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=December 2011}} Instead, in conjunction with the commander who would lead the troops into Shusha, [[Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan|Arkady "Komandos" Ter-Tadevosyan]], they devised a strategy of launching several diversionary attacks against the adjacent villages to draw out the defenders of the town. In the meantime, the forces would encircle and cut off the town from further reinforcements.<ref name=waal>De Waal, Thomas (2003). ''Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War''. New York: New York University Press, pp. 177 – 178. {{ISBN|0-8147-1945-7}}</ref>
 === Order of battle ===
+The plan was put together in March–April 1992, after intelligence on the location, positions and the number of the rival forces had been collected. L. Martirosov had a mock-up of Shusha area made, enabling the commanders to outline their actions and directions. The plan was developed in top secrecy. On 28 April the main directions of the operation, the commanders, the resources at hand were finalized.<ref name="Walls">{{Cite web|url=http://www.arf1890.com/armhistory/4.htm|title=Walls of Shusha|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604072459/http://www.arf1890.com/armhistory/4.htm |archivedate=4 June 2016|url-status=usurped}}</ref>
+The plan of attack was signed off on 4 May 1992. In its final form, it defined its objects accordingly:
-The plan was put together in March – April 1992, after the intelligence data about the location, positions and the number of the rival forces had been finalized. By the commission of L. Martirosov, a model of Shusha area was made, enabling the commanders to define their actions and directions. The plan was developed in top secrecy. On April 28 the main directions of the operation, the commanders, the resources at hand were finalized and defined.<ref name="Walls">[http://www.arf1890.com/armhistory/4.htm Walls of Shushi] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604072459/http://www.arf1890.com/armhistory/4.htm |date=June 4, 2016 }}</ref>
-The military order of Shusha seizure was signed on May 4, 1992 with the following details:
 <blockquote>
-''1. The enemy holds the surrounding positions''
+. The enemy holds the surrounding positions
-* ''in Shushi elevations with a human resource of 1200,''
+* In Shushi elevations with a human resource of 1,200,
-* ''in [[Zarslu]] – of about 100,''
+* In [[Zarslu]] – about 100,
-* ''in [[Lisagor]] – of about 300 – 350,''
+* In [[Lisagor]] – about 300–350,
-* ''in Kesalar – of about 300.''
+* In Kesalar – about 300.
-''2. Our task is:''
+. Our task is to:
-* ''a) To defeat the enemy in [[Lisagor]], [[Zaralu]], [[Janasan]], [[Karagyav]];''
+* a) Defeat the enemy in [[Turşsu, Shusha|Lisagor]], [[Zaralu]], [[Janasan]], [[Karagyav]];
-* ''b) To defeat the enemy at Shushi approaches, to gain Shushi and to free the city from the Greens'' <small>(codename for the enemy)</small>;
+* b) Defeat the enemy at Shusha approaches, to seize Shushi and to free the city from the Greens <small>(codename for the enemy)</small>;
-* ''c) to further advance to [[Berdadzor]] and free the Berdadzor district from the Greens;''
+* c) Further advance to Berdadzor and free the Berdadzor district from the Greens;
-* ''d) The enemy has concentrated the main forces in Kesalar, Lisagor, Zarslu, in surroundings of Shushi and circled the whole city. The ways for defeating the enemy: to gain high point N and take position there.''
+* d) The enemy has concentrated its main forces in Kesalar, Lisagor, Zarslu, in the environs of Shushi, and encircled the whole city. The way to defeat the enemy is to seize High Point N and take position there.
-''After regrouping of forces to advance to Lisagor and Zarslu and to immediately start the attack in four directions:''
+After the regrouping of forces, advance on to Lisagor and Zarslu and to immediately start the attack in four directions:
-*   ''a) Direction of Shosh /eastern/, commander – A. Karapetyan''
+* a) Direction of Shosh (eastern), commander – A. Karapetyan
-*   ''b) Direction of “26”/northern/, commander – V. Chitchyan''
+* b) Direction of "26" (northern), commander – V. Chitchyan
-*   ''c) Lachin direction /southern/, commander – [[Samvel Babayan|S. Babayan]]''
+* c) Lachin direction /southern), commander – [[Samvel Babayan|S. Babayan]]
-*   ''d) Kesalar direction /north-eastern/, commander – [[Seyran Ohanyan]],
+* d) Kesalar direction (north-eastern), commander – [[Seyran Ohanyan]],
-*   ''commander of reserve troops – Y. Hovhannisyan''
+* Commander of reserve troops – Y. Hovhannisyan
-''To defeat the enemy from Stepanakert side at three Shushi edges, then to destroy the enemy and liberate Shushi.''<ref name="Walls"/></blockquote>
+To defeat the enemy from the Stepanakert side and Shusha's three sides, then to destroy the enemy and liberate Shushi.<ref name="Walls" /></blockquote>
-Before the offensive against the Shusha [[citadel]] was launched, Ter-Tadevosyan's forces launched an artillery barrage from several directions for several weeks in order to "soften up" the town's defenses.<ref>Melkonian. ''My Brother's Road'', p. 218.</ref> Since late February, the Azeri military had been reinforcing Shusha's ridge and ammunition, and had been shuttling in helicopters in order to evacuate the town's civilian population. The attack was to start on May 4, but for various reasons (lack of ammunition, adverse weather conditions, etc.)<ref name="Walls"/> it was delayed. By May 8, Armenian forces had amassed a force of nearly 1,000 fighters to storm Shusha.
+Prior to the assault, Ter-Tadevosyan's forces opened up with an artillery bombardment from several directions, softening up the town's defenses.<ref>Melkonian. ''My Brother's Road'', p. 218.</ref> Since late February, the Azerbaijani military had been reinforcing Shusha and ammunition, and had been shuttling in helicopters to evacuate the town's civilian population. The attack was to start on 4 May, but for a number of reasons (lack of ammunition, adverse weather conditions, etc.)<ref name="Walls" /> it was delayed. On 8 May, Armenian forces had amassed a force of nearly 1,000 fighters to begin the assault.
 === The offensive ===
+In the twilight hours of 8 May, Ter-Tadevosyan directed his forces to assail Shusha from different directions and attack it from the flanks and its rear, avoding the ridge facing Stepanakert (the town's most easily defendable location). The force was divided into five [[Company (military unit)|companies]], four of which (under the command of Arkady Karapetyan, Valery Chitchyan, [[Samvel Babayan]] and [[Seyran Ohanyan]]) would attack from different directions, and the fifth (under command of Yura Ovanisyan) would remain as reserve in case any of the groups needed immediate reinforcement. The main contingent of the attacking force was primarily infantry, but was complemented by at least four tanks and two attack helicopters.
+Entrenched in Shusha was the Azerbaijani commander Elbrus Orujev, who commanded a force of several hundred men and tanks.  Orujev's men were bolstered by a [[Chechens|Chechen]] volunteer contingent led by guerrilla warlord [[Shamil Basayev]], who were among the last to leave the city.<ref>De Waal. ''Black Garden'', p. 179. Basayev would later remark that the only defeat he and his unit had suffered had been against the Armenians in Karabakh against the "Dashnak battalion."</ref> Due to the proximity of the attacking forces, the BM-21s were of no advantage to the defenders.
-In the twilight hours of May 8, Ter-Tadevosyan directed his forces to assail Shusha from different directions and attack it from the flanks and its rear to avoid the ridge facing Stepanakert which was the town's most easily defendable location. The force was divided into 5 [[Company (military unit)|companies]], four of which (under the command of Arkady Karapetyan, Valery Chitchyan, [[Samvel Babayan]] and [[Seyran Ohanyan]]) would attack from different directions, and the fifth (under command of Yura Ovanisyan) would remain as reserve in case any of the groups needed immediate reinforcement. The primary contingent of the attacking force was made up primarily of infantry but was complemented by at least four tanks and two attack helicopters.
+Orujev's forces managed to fend off the first Armenians who scaled the town's cliffs. By mid-day, the fighting in Shusha escalated into a full-scale engagement, as both sides were involved in fierce combat amid Shusha's battered streets and communications tower.<ref>Dahlburg, John Thor (9 May 1992). [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-09-mn-1600-story.html "Armenians Attack Karabakh City"]. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. p.&nbsp;29. Retrieved 11 September 2006.</ref> A famous tank battle took place between the two sides when an Armenian [[T-72]], the first to enter Shusha, encountered its Azerbaijani counterpart on the northern approach to the town. The two exchanged fire, and the Armenian tank, manned by Gagik Avsharyan, was hit by several rounds and knocked out of commission. Two of the tank's crew members were killed but Avsharyan survived.<ref>De Waal. ''Black Garden'', pp. 178 – 179. The commander of the Azerbaijani tank, [[Albert Agarunov]], a Baku Jew, was killed several days later and was eventually hailed as a hero in Azerbaijan.</ref> By the evening of 8 May, Armenian forces had destroyed three BM-21s and captured the remainder of the battery. Within several hours, the defenders were forced to retreat to the town's southernmost tip.
-Entrenched in Shusha was the Azeri commander Elbrus Orujev who commanded a force of several hundred men and tanks. Due to the proximity of the attacking forces, the GRAD launchers were largely useless in their role of defending the town. Orujev's forces troops managed to fend off the first Armenians who scaled the town's cliffs. Orujev's men were bolstered by a [[Chechen people|Chechen]] volunteer contingent led by guerrilla warlord [[Shamil Basayev]] who were among the last to leave the city.<ref>De Waal. ''Black Garden'', p. 179. Basayev would later remark that the only defeat he and his unit had suffered had been against the Armenians in Karabakh against the "Dashnak battalion."</ref>
+By 9 May the Armenian forces were firmly in control of Shusha. At the battle-scarred [[Ghazanchetsots Cathedral]] they found that the Azerbaijanis had converted it into a storage depot for BM-21 rockets. Overwhelmed by the attacking force, Orujev ordered his forces to retreat and abandon the citadel. Casualty counts were estimated to have been over a hundred on both sides.<ref name="Azerbaijanis p. 314"/> After capture of the town, the city was looted and burnt by aggrieved Armenian civilians from nearby Stepanakert, who had endured months of bombing and shelling from Azerbaijani forces.<ref>{{cite news|last1=de Waal|first1=Thomas|author-link1=Thomas de Waal|title=Shusha Armenians Recall Their Bittersweet Victory|url=https://iwpr.net/global-voices/shusha-armenians-recall-their-bittersweet|publisher=[[Institute for War and Peace Reporting]]|date=10 May 2002|access-date=5 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005214539/https://iwpr.net/global-voices/shusha-armenians-recall-their-bittersweet|archive-date=5 October 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
-By mid-day, the fighting in Shusha escalated into a full-scale engagement, as both sides were involved in fierce combat amidst Shusha's battered streets and near its communications tower.<ref>Dahlburg, John Thor. "[http://www.latimes.com/ Armenians Attack Karabakh City]." ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. May 9, 1992. p. 29. Retrieved September 11, 2006</ref> A famous encounter took place between the two sides when an Armenian [[T-72]] tank, the first to enter Shusha, encountered its Azeri counterpart on the northern approach of the town. As the two exchanged fire the Armenian tank, manned by Gagik Avsharyan, was hit by several rounds from the opposing T-72 and knocked out of commission. Avsharyan's tank was armed with [[High explosive anti-tank warhead|HEAT]] rounds, which were ineffective against heavy armor tanks. Two of the tank's crew members were killed but Avsharyan survived.<ref>De Waal. ''Black Garden'', pp. 178 – 179. The commander of the Azeri tank, [[Albert Agarunov]], a Baku Jew, was killed several days later and was eventually hailed as a hero in Azerbaijan.</ref> By the evening of May 8, Armenian forces destroyed three of the GRAD launchers and captured the remainder of the battery. Within several hours, the defenders were forced to retreat to the town's southernmost tip.
+According to the claims of former Azerbaijani residents, some of the shelling was either indiscriminate or intentionally aimed at civilian targets.<ref>Rachel Denber, Robert K. Goldman, [[Helsinki Watch]]. ''Bloodshed in the Caucasus: escalation of the armed conflict in Nagorno Karabakh'', [[Human Rights Watch]], 1992, p. 31</ref>
-By May 9 the Armenian forces were firmly in control of Shusha. At the battle-scarred [[Ghazanchetsots Cathedral]] they found that the Azeris had converted it into a storage area for the GRAD ammunition. Overwhelmed by the attacking force, Orujev ordered his forces to retreat and abandon the citadel. Casualty counts were estimated to have been over a hundred on both sides.<ref name="Azeris p. 314"/> After capture of the town, many Armenians came to the city for looting. Marauders and vandals burnt much of the city to the ground.<ref>De Waal. ''Black Garden'', pp. 190 – 191.</ref>
 == Political fallout ==
 Writer [[Markar Melkonian]], brother of Nagorno Karabakh commander [[Monte Melkonian]], would later write that "the capture of Shusha would go down in the annals of local lore as the most glorious victory" in the first half of the war.<ref name="Melkonian219">Melkonian. ''My Brother's Road'', p. 219.</ref>
-The capture of Shusha ushered many Armenians living in Stepanakert and elsewhere in Karabakh to supplant the majority Azeri population living there before the battle. Several days following the offensive, Armenian forces launched an attack in the region of [[Lachin]] and opened up a five-mile [[Lachin corridor|corridor]] connecting the enclave to Armenia proper. The offensive prompted two attacks by Azerbaijan's military. One was concentrated on taking back Shusha on May 11 and the other was further south in [[Khojavend (town)|Martuni]]. Despite earlier claims made by Azerbaijan's defense ministry to having taken back Shusha, the offensive had failed. In the Armenian defended front of Martuni, Armenian forces also turned back a retaliatory Azeri offensive while inflicting heavy losses.<ref name="Melkonian219"/>
+The capture of Shusha saw an influx of Armenians from Stepanakert and elsewhere in Karabakh moving to the town. Several days after the assault, Armenian forces launched an attack in the region of [[Lachin]] and opened up a 8-kilometer [[Lachin corridor|corridor]] connecting the enclave to Armenia proper. The assault prompted two attacks by Azerbaijan's military. One attempted to retake Shusha on 11 May and the other, farther south, in [[Khojavend (town)|Martuni]]. Despite earlier claims made by Azerbaijan's defense ministry to having taken back Shusha, the counterattacks. On the Armenian defended front in Martuni, Armenian forces also turned back an Azerbaijani assault, inflicting heavy losses.<ref name="Melkonian219"/>
-On the day of the Armenian victory, Armenian president [[Levon Ter-Petrosyan]] and then acting Azerbaijani president [[Yagub Mammadov (politician)|Yagub Mamedov]] were present in [[Tehran]], Iran to sign a cease-fire agreement. News of the Armenian offensive led Mamedov to charge that Armenia had already failed to honor the cease-fire. Ter-Petrosyan, however, contested that he was unable to control what the Armenians in Karabakh were planning. The loss of Shusha later led to mass demonstrations in Azerbaijan's capital of [[Baku]] against newly reinstated president [[Ayaz Mütallibov]]. Charged for failing to defend the cities of Shusha on 9th and later Lachin on 18th, he was forced to step down. Many Azeris were in a state of disbelief due to the loss: the town had been the birthplace for Azeri composers, poets and musicians and many felt that the town's capture had been betrayed or sold for political purposes.<ref>Goltz, Thomas (1998). ''Azerbaijan Diary: A Rogue Reporter's Adventures in an Oil-Rich, War-Torn, Post-Soviet Republic''. New York: M.E. Sharpe, p. 185. {{ISBN|0-7656-0244-X}}.</ref> In a television interview in 2000, Basayev discounted these theories and contended that the town's defenders had simply abandoned their positions.<ref>De Waal. ''Black Garden'', p. 181.</ref>
+On the day of the Armenian victory, Armenian president [[Levon Ter-Petrosyan]] and then acting Azerbaijani president [[Yagub Mammadov (politician)|Yagub Mamedov]] were present in [[Tehran]], Iran to sign a cease-fire agreement. News of the Armenian offensive led Mamedov to accuse Armenia of failing to honor the cease-fire. Ter-Petrosyan, however, contested that he was unable to control what the Armenians in Karabakh were planning. The loss of Shusha later led to mass demonstrations in Azerbaijan's capital of [[Baku]] against newly reinstated president [[Ayaz Mutallibov|Ayaz Mütallibov]]. Charged for failing to defend the cities of Shusha on 9th and later Lachin on 18th, he was forced to step down. Many Azerbaijanis greeted the news of the town's capture with disbelief: the town had been the birthplace for Azerbaijani composers, poets and musicians and many were convinced it had been betrayed or sold for political purposes.<ref>Goltz, Thomas (1998). ''Azerbaijan Diary: A Rogue Reporter's Adventures in an Oil-Rich, War-Torn, Post-Soviet Republic''. New York: M.E. Sharpe, p. 185. .</ref> In a television interview in 2000, Basayev dismissed these theories and contended that the town's defenders had simply abandoned their positions.<ref>De Waal. ''Black Garden'', p. 181.</ref>
-After the war ended, Avsharyan's T-72 tank was recovered and repaired and currently stands as a monument in Shusha. May 9 is now celebrated in Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as "The Day of the NKR’s Defence Army" and "The Day of Liberation of Shushi," respectively<ref>Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [http://www.nkr.am/eng/gov/prazd.htm Holidays and Memorable Days of the NKR] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060922013406/http://www.nkr.am/eng/gov/prazd.htm |date=September 22, 2006 }}.</ref> A commendation medal was also awarded by the government to those Armenians who participated in the battle. The city has become one of the central items involved in the negotiating process in peace talks since the war ended in 1994.<ref>Bertsch, Gary (1999). ''Crossroads and Conflict: Security and Foreign Policy in the Caucasus and Central Asia''. London: Routledge, p. 170. {{ISBN|0-415-92273-9}}.</ref>
+The city was for a time one of the central items involved in the negotiating process in peace talks held from 1994 to 2020.<ref>Bertsch, Gary (1999). ''Crossroads and Conflict: Security and Foreign Policy in the Caucasus and Central Asia''. London: Routledge, p. 170.</ref>
 == Turkey's involvement ==
+The seizure of the town prompted loud complaints from neighboring [[Turkey]]. Turkish Prime Minister [[Süleyman Demirel]] said that he was under intense public pressure to send military help to Azerbaijan. Demirel, however, did not heed their calls amid heightening tension with Russia. In May 1992, the commander of the CIS forces in the [[Caucasus]], [[Yevgeny Shaposhnikov]], warned that any Turkish incursion would lead to "the verge of a third world war, and that cannot be allowed."<ref>Goldberg, Carey. "[https://www.thestar.com/ Turkey warned of 'world war']." ''[[Toronto Star]]''. 21 May 1992. p. A18. Retrieved 12 September 2006.</ref> The Armenian victory in Shusha had many Turkish officials accusing Armenia of seeking to invade next the Azerbaijani [[exclave]] of [[Nakhichivan Autonomous Republic|Nakhchivan]].{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}
+Because of international pressure, Turkey was ostensibly restricted to providing economic support to Azerbaijan. Nonetheless, the Turkish army and intelligence services launched undercover operations to supply Azerbaijan with arms and military personnel. According to Turkish sources, over 350 high-ranking officers and thousands of volunteers from Turkey participated in the warfare on the Azerbaijani side.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} Western authors reported several major shipments of weapons from Turkey, including bringing an arsenal of Soviet-made arms from the former [[East Germany]].<ref name="Demoyan">Demoyan, Hayk. "[http://www.armenianhouse.org/demoyan/turkey/summary.html Turkey and the Karabakh Conflict]." ArmenianHouse.</ref>
-Armenia's western neighbor, [[Turkey]], took umbrage after Armenian troops had captured the town. [[Süleyman Demirel]], Turkey's prime minister, said that he was coming under intense pressure by the Turkish people to send military help to Azerbaijan. The two peoples are ethnically and culturally related. Demirel however decided not to heed their calls partly because the commander of the CIS forces based in [[Caucasus]], [[Yevgeny Shaposhnikov]] had warned that such an incursion would lead to "the verge of a third world war, and that cannot be allowed."<ref>Goldberg, Carey. "[https://www.thestar.com/ Turkey warned of 'world war']." ''[[Toronto Star]]''. May 21, 1992. p. A18. Retrieved September 12, 2006.</ref> The Armenian victory in Shusha had many Turkish officials accusing Armenia itself of seeking to invade the Azeri [[exclave]] of [[Nakhichivan Autonomous Republic|Nakhichevan]].
+Simultaneously, Turkey was engaged in overt intimidation of Armenia.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} On the international stage it lobbied various organizations and promoted a pro-Azerbaijani bent of mediation and conflict resolution efforts. Turkish diplomats organized "Turkic Summits" for Turkic nations that included Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to convince the leaders of the Central Asian countries to sever economic ties with Armenia and condemn its military involvement in Nagorno Karabakh.<ref name="Demoyan"/>
-Because of international pressure Turkey was ostensibly restricted to providing economic support to Azerbaijan. Nonetheless, the Turkish army and intelligence services launched undercover operations to supply Azerbaijan with arms and military personnel. According to Turkish sources, over 350 high-ranking officers and thousands of volunteers from Turkey participated in the warfare on the Azerbaijani side. Western authors reported several major shipments of weapons from Turkey, including bringing an arsenal of Soviet-made arms from the former [[East Germany]].<ref name="Demoyan">Demoyan, Hayk. "[http://www.armenianhouse.org/demoyan/turkey/summary.html Turkey and the Karabakh Conflict]." ArmenianHouse.</ref>
+== Commemorations ==
-Simultaneously, Turkey was engaged in overt intimidation of Armenia. On the international stage it lobbied various organizations and promoted a pro-Azerbaijani bent of mediation and conflict resolution efforts. Turkish diplomats organized "Turkic Summits" for Turkic nations that included Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to convince the leaders of the Central Asian countries to sever economic ties with Armenia and condemn its military involvement in Nagorno Karabakh.<ref name="Demoyan"/>
+{{Main|Shushi Liberation Day}}
+After the war ended, Avsharyan's T-72 tank was recovered and repaired and was installed as a monument in Shusha. 9 May is now celebrated in Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as "The Day of the NKR's Defence Army" and "[[Shushi Liberation Day]]," respectively. <ref>Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [http://www.nkr.am/eng/gov/prazd.htm Holidays and Memorable Days of the NKR] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060922013406/http://www.nkr.am/eng/gov/prazd.htm|date=22 September 2006}}.</ref> A commendation medal was also awarded by the government to those Armenians who participated in the battle.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} On 22 September 2023, after the [[2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh|Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh]], Azerbaijan dismantled the tank monument.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.azernews.az/nation/215106.html|title=Tank monument at Azerbaijan's Shusha entrance dismantled [VIDEOS]|publisher=Azernews| date=22 September 2023| accessdate =23 September 2023}}</ref>
-== Fifteenth anniversary ==
-{{Main|Artsakh Defense Army Liberation Day Parades}}
+=== Fifteenth anniversary ===
-On May 9, 2007, Armenia and the NKR celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the town's capture. The festivities included a military parade in Renaissance Square in Stepanakert and a cross-country marathon organized by the [[Armenian Revolutionary Federation]]'s youth wing that began from Armenia and ended in Shusha during the run up to May 9. During the processions, then president of the NKR [[Arkadi Ghukasyan]], reiterated the point that the citizens of the republic would have the final say over their future.<ref>Danielyan, Emin. "[http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2007/05/9F3BFB8D-515C-4AF9-91B2-CEB3022BB903.asp Karabakh Leader Demands ‘Final Say’ In Peace Talks]." ''[[RFE/RL]]''. May 9, 2007. Retrieved May 12, 2007.</ref>
+On 9 May 2007, Armenia and the NKR celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the town's capture. The festivities included a military parade in Renaissance Square in Stepanakert and a cross-country marathon organized by the [[Armenian Revolutionary Federation]]'s youth wing that began from Armenia and ended in Shusha during the run up to 9 May. During the processions, then president of the NKR [[Arkadi Ghukasyan]], reiterated the point that the citizens of the republic would have the final say over their future.<ref>Danielyan, Emin. "[http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2007/05/9F3BFB8D-515C-4AF9-91B2-CEB3022BB903.asp Karabakh Leader Demands ‘Final Say’ In Peace Talks]." ''[[RFE/RL]]''. 9 May 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007.</ref>
-The parade was headed by the [[Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army]]'s first deputy commander, Major General [[Movses Hakobyan]]. Attendants of it included veterans of the battle and the Nagorno-Karabakh war and veterans from the Second World War since May 9 also marks [[Victory Day (Eastern Europe)|Victory in Europe]] day.
+The parade was headed by the [[Artsakh Defence Army|Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army]]'s first deputy commander, Major General [[Movses Hakobyan]]. Attendants of it included veterans of the battle and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and veterans from the Second World War since 9 May also marks [[Victory Day (Eastern Europe)|Victory in Europe]] day.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}
-In Armenia, prime minister [[Serzh Sargsyan]] inaugurated the naming of a square in the capital of [[Yerevan]] after Shusha.
+In Armenia, prime minister [[Serzh Sargsyan]] inaugurated the naming of a square in the capital of [[Yerevan]] after Shusha.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}
 == See also ==
+* [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]]
-* [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]]
+* [[Armenian volunteer units during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War|Armenian volunteer units]]
+* [[Battle of Shusha (2020)]]
-* [[Armenian volunteer units during the Nagorno-Karabakh War|Armenian volunteer units]]
-* [[Shusha]]
 == References==
+{{notelist}}
-{{reflist|2|refs=
+{{Reflist|2|refs=
-<ref name="ysu">{{cite web|last1=Aslanyan|first1=Hasmik|last2=Melikbekyan|first2=Gegham|script-title=hy:Շուշիի ազատագրումը կամ "Հարսանիքը լեռներում"|url=http://www.ysu.am/newspaper/hy/1380605176|website=Yerevan University|publisher=[[Yerevan State University]]|language=hy|date=8 May 2012|quote=Շուշիի ազատագրման մարտերում հայկական կողմն ունեցավ 47 զոհ, հակառակորդը` 150-200 սպանված, շուրջ 300 վիրավոր, 13 գերի: Ադրբեջանական բանակը Շուշիում թողել էր հրետանային 6 կայանք, մի քանի հազար հրթիռ ու արկ:|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528090931/http://www.ysu.am/newspaper/hy/1380605176|archivedate=May 28, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
+<ref name="ysu">{{cite web|last1=Aslanyan|first1=Hasmik|last2=Melikbekyan|first2=Gegham|script-title=hy:Շուշիի ազատագրումը կամ "Հարսանիքը լեռներում"|url=http://www.ysu.am/newspaper/hy/1380605176|website=Yerevan University|publisher=[[Yerevan State University]]|language=hy|date=8 May 2012|quote=Շուշիի ազատագրման մարտերում հայկական կողմն ունեցավ 47 զոհ, հակառակորդը` 150–200 սպանված, շուրջ 300 վիրավոր, 13 գերի: Ադրբեջանական բանակը Շուշիում թողել էր հրետանային 6 կայանք, մի քանի հազար հրթիռ ու արկ:|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528090931/http://www.ysu.am/newspaper/hy/1380605176|archive-date=28 May 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
-<ref name="Azeris p. 314">The commanders of the battle give conflicting data: in an interview, Ter-Tadevosyan stated that his forces lost 58 men in contrast to the Azeris' 200, while Orujev claims that the Armenian casualty count was much higher and estimates his own losses at 159 dead and 22 [[missing in action]]: see De Waal, ''Black Garden'', p. 314.</ref>
+<ref name="Azerbaijanis p. 314">The commanders of the battle give conflicting data: in an interview, Ter-Tadevosyan stated that his forces lost 58 men in contrast to the Azerbaijanis' 200, while Orujev claims that the Armenian casualty count was much higher and estimates his own losses at 159 dead and 22 [[missing in action]]: see De Waal, ''Black Garden'', p. 314.</ref>
 }}
@@ Line 158: / Line 158: @@
 {{Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Shusha, 1992 Battle of}}
-[[Category:Battles involving Armenia|Shusha]]
-[[Category:Battles involving Azerbaijan|Shusha]]
+[[Category:Battles of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War]]
 [[Category:Conflicts in 1992]]
 [[Category:1992 in Azerbaijan]]
 [[Category:1992 in Armenia]]
 [[Category:Battles involving the Republic of Artsakh]]
-[[Category:Nagorno-Karabakh War]]
 [[Category:1992 in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic]]
 [[Category:May 1992 events in Asia]]
+[[Category:Military history of Shusha]]

v t e Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Background	Nagorno-Karabakh History Armenian–Azerbaijani war (1918–1920) Deportation of Azerbaijanis from Armenia Dissolution of the Soviet Union Karabakh movement Miatsum Armenians in Azerbaijan Armenians in Baku Azerbaijanis in Armenia Anti-Armenian sentiment in Azerbaijan Armenia–Azerbaijan relations
First war (1988–1994)	Çardaqlı clash Askeran clash Sumgait pogrom Gugark pogrom Zvartnots Airport clash Shusha and Stepanakert pogroms Kirovabad pogrom Il-76 crash near Leninakan (1988) Baku pogrom Bağanis Ayrum 1990 Tbilisi–Agdam bus bombing Operation Ring Voskepar massacre Battle of Togh 1991 Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 shootdown Law on Abolishment of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast Siege of Stepanakert Operation Dashalty 1992 Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 shootdown Capture of Gushchular and Malibeyli Capture of Garadaghly Khojaly massacre Maraga massacre Capture of Shusha Capture of Artsvashen Operation Goranboy Mardakert and Martuni Offensives Operation Həsənqaya Battle of Lachin Operation Qazançı 1993 Azerbaijani coup d'état Battle of Kalbajar Battle of Aghdam 1993 Summer Offensives Operation Geghamasar Operation Horadiz Operation Kalbajar 1994 Baku Metro bombings 1994 Iranian Air Force C-130 shootdown 1994 Bagratashen bombing Refugees in Azerbaijan
Interwar clashes	2008 Mardakert clashes January 2009 Agdam military incident September 2009 Agdam military incident 2010 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes 2010 Mardakert clashes 2012 Armenian–Azerbaijani border clashes 2014 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes 2014 Armenian Mil Mi-24 shootdown 2016 Odundağ clashes 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict 2017 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Shelling of Alxanlı 2018 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes 2019 clash near Chinari July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes Incidents Protests in Azerbaijan Reactions
Second war (2020)	Timeline Casualties International reactions Allegations of third-party involvement Madagiz offensive Aras Valley campaign Bombardments (Barda, Ganja, Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, Martuni, Stepanakert, Tartar) Battle of Hadrut Lachin offensive Battle of Shusha Russian Mil Mi-24 shootdown War crimes Treatment of Armenian POWs
Post-ceasefire events	Azerbaijan's construction in gained areas 2020–2021 Armenian protests Chaylaggala and Hin Tagher Border crisis September 2022 escalation Susuzluq Shusha Farukh 2022 Armenian protests Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh 2023 Azerbaijani offensive Protests in Armenia Flight of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians Berkadzor fuel depot explosion
Main locations	Administrative divisions of the Republic of Artsakh Stepanakert Askeran Province Hadrut Province Kashatagh Province Martakert Province Martuni Province Shahumyan Province Shushi Province Armenian-occupied territories Aghdam District Fuzuli District Jabrayil District Kalbajar District Lachin District Lachin corridor Qubadli District Zangilan District
Political leaders	Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan Robert Kocharyan Serzh Sargsyan Nikol Pashinyan Republic of Artsakh Artur Mkrtchyan Robert Kocharyan Leonard Petrosyan Arkadi Ghukasyan Bako Sahakyan Arayik Harutyunyan Samvel Shahramanyan Azerbaijan Ayaz Mutallibov Abulfaz Elchibey Heydar Aliyev Ilham Aliyev Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh Bayram Safarov Nizami Bahmanov Tural Ganjaliyev Russia Mikhail Gorbachev Boris Yeltsin Vladimir Putin Turkey Turgut Özal Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Military leaders	Armenia Vazgen Sargsyan Gurgen Dalibaltayan Norat Ter-Grigoryants Jirair Sefilian Tiran Khachatryan Seyran Ohanyan Republic of Artsakh Samvel Babayan Kristapor Ivanyan Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan Monte Melkonian Jalal Harutyunyan Mikael Arzumanyan Azerbaijan Isgandar Hamidov Rahim Gaziyev Surat Huseynov Valeh Barshadly Mais Barkhudarov Hikmat Mirzayev Hikmat Hasanov Russia Viktor Polyanichko Pavel Grachev Rustam Muradov Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Shamil Basayev Afghanistan Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Peace process	Baker rules Bishkek Protocol Tehran Communiqué Zheleznovodsk Communiqué OSCE Minsk Group Prague Process Madrid Principles 2020 ceasefire agreement 2020–2024 monitoring and peacekeeping Russia OSCE EU EUMCAP Oct–Dec 2022 EUPAT Dec 2022–Jan 2023 EUMA Feb 2023–present 2023 ceasefire agreement
International documents	Astrakhan Declaration Nagorno-Karabakh Declaration NATO Lisbon Summit Declaration OIC Resolution 10/11 OIC Resolution 10/37 PACE Resolution 1416 PACE Resolution 2085 UNGA Resolution 48/114 UNGA Resolution 60/285 UNGA Resolution 62/243 UNSC resolutions 822 853 874 884