During the night and day of April 1-2, 2016, Azerbaijani positions and settlements along the entire front were subjected to heavy artillery fire by the Armenian armed forces. To prevent this attack and ensure the safety of the civilian population, the command of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces resolved to take urgent countermeasures in the Aghdara-Tartar-Aghdam and Khojavand-Fuzuli directions. As a result, 6 tanks, up to 15 artillery pieces and fortified engineering installations belonging to the Armenians were destroyed, as well as more than a hundred of their military personnel were killed and neutralized.

On April 4, the Armenian army, to reclaim its lost positions, launched an attack on Azerbaijani positions, mainly in the Aghdara-Tartar and Khojavand-Fuzuli directions of the front, and intensively shelled our settlements near the line of contact. However, due to the bravery of Azerbaijani fighters, the enemy could not achieve its goal. The enemy’s plan to continue the attack by sending reinforcements also failed. The prepared Azerbaijani units struck the headquarters of the enemy's military base in the strategically important Madagiz area and a bus carrying Armenian volunteers. During the operation, the reserve forces that the Armenian armed forces attempted to mobilize from Aghdara, Madagiz and other settlements were destroyed by Azerbaijani units with preemptive strikes.

During the fighting, the Azerbaijani Army, in a rapid counterattack, liberated more than 2,000 hectares of territory and took more territory under operational control. The heights around the Talish village, which could threaten the Goranboy district and city of Naftalan, and the Seysulan settlement, were completely cleared of enemy forces. The strategically important "Lalatapa" hill, located in the direction of the Fuzuli district and allowing for control of a large area, also came under the control of the Azerbaijani Army to protect the city of Horadiz from enemy threats.

As a result of these battles, over 320 enemy soldiers were killed, and more than 500 Armenian military personnel were wounded. Approximately 30 tanks and other armored vehicles, along with over 25 artillery pieces, were destroyed.

The April battles hold significant historical importance as they marked the beginning of the “Great Return” process. With the liberation of Lalatapa Heights, the threat to the civilians in the village of Jojug Marjanli in the Jabrayil district was eliminated. The "Great Return" process was launched by the Decree of the Head of State dated January 24, 2017, regarding the restoration of the village of Jojug Marjanli and the return of its residents.

The April battles were important in achieving the great Victory in the glorious Patriotic War, which is inscribed in golden letters in Azerbaijan’s military history. The military successes over the enemy in these battles boosted the confidence and determination of the Azerbaijani Army and people in the Great Victory, also providing a valuable experience for the Armed Forces personnel. These battles also created an opportunity to study enemy positions and their potential. The brave Azerbaijani Army, which successfully used this experience in the Patriotic War, dealt crushing blows to the enemy and liberated  Azerbaijani territories from occupation in 44 days. As a continuation of the Karabakh Victory, due to one-day successful local anti-terrorist measures carried out by the Azerbaijani Army on September 19-20, 2023, Azerbaijan fully restored both its territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Victory Parade held in Khankandi went down in history as another brilliant demonstration of the power of Azerbaijan and the might of its Army.

Our tricolor flag, raised in Lalatapa, is flying today in every corner of Karabakh and East Zangazur – in Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, Kalbajar, Aghdam, Shusha, Lachin, Asgaran, Khojavand, Aghdara, Khojaly and Khankandi.

Recommended literature:

1. Qurbani, Abdulla. Lələtəpə fatehləri: "Aprel döyüşləri - ruhumuzun qələbəsi" silsiləsindən birinci kitab /A. Qurbani ; red. A. Rüstəmli ; rəssam M. Hüseynov. - Bakı: Apostroff, 2017. - 336 s.
2. Murad, Güləmail. Aprel döyüşləri / G. Murad ; red. A. Arifqızı ; ön sözün müəl. R. Babaşov. - Bakı : Elm və təhsil, 2018. - 152 s.
3. Səfərli, Aynur Mətləb qızı. Qəhrəmanlıq tariximizin şanlı səhifələri/A. M. Səfərli [tərtibçi] ; ön söz. müəl. H. Təmirov ; Mənəvi Dəyərlərin Təbliği Fondu. - Bakı: TUNA, 2020. - 705 s.
4. Paşayev, Qəzənfər Məhəmməd oğlu. Qəbələ keçmişdə və günümüzdə / Q. M. Paşayev ; red. N. Ç. Axundova ; ön sözün müəl. Q. Ə. Paşayeva ; AMEA Nizami adına Ədəbiyyat İnstitutu. - Bakı : Təhsil, 2021. - 224 s.