The Madagiz offensive, also called the Battle of Madagiz (Azerbaijani: Madagiz döyüşü; Armenian: Մատաղիսի ճակատամարտ, romanized: Mataghisi chakatamart), or the Battle of Sugovushan (Azerbaijani: Suqovuşan döyüşü), was a military operation launched by Azerbaijan against the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh and their Armenian allies during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. The offensive began on 28 September, when the Azerbaijani forces advanced towards Armenian positions near the abandoned village of Talish. By 3 October, the Azerbaijani forces had seized control of Talish, and the town of Madagiz.
| Madagiz offensive | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Azerbaijan | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Edgar Markosyan[3] | |||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
 Artsakh Defence Army Armed Forces of Armenia | |||||||||
Timeline
On 27 September 2020, clashes broke out in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is de facto controlled by Artsakh, but de jure part of Azerbaijan.[6] This was followed by an offensive launched by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the direction of Talish and Madagiz next day,[7] with the Azerbaijani forces had gaining control of a "strategic high ground" around Talish.[8] On 29 September, the Azerbaijani authorities stated that their aerial and ground forces destroyed a mixed column of Armenian military vehicles travelling from Madagiz, together with an artillery battery.[9] They also stated that the Azerbaijani forces had destroyed an Armenian position near Talish.[10] On 2 October, the Azerbaijani forces captured and took control of dominant heights around Madagiz,[11] By 3 October, the Azerbaijani forces had seized control of Talish[12] and Madagiz,[13] as well as the latter's strategic dam.[2] On 9 October, the Azerbaijani authorities released confirmary footage from Talish and Madagiz.[14][15]
Aftermath
On 3 October, Madagiz was renamed to Sugovushan by the decree of Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan.[16]
Azerbaijani colonel Babak Samidli, deputy commander of the 1st Army Corps, died from a land-mine explosion on 23 November, during a post-armistice search for the bodies of missing soldiers in Madagiz.[17]