August 18 is celebrated in the Republic of Azerbaijan as Border Guards Day. This year marks the 107th anniversary of the establishment of the modern and powerful Azerbaijani Border Security.
Sea-news.az reports that the Border Troops, initially founded in 1919 under the Ministry of War of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, were officially designated as a professional holiday by the Decree of National Leader Heydar Aliyev dated August 18, 2000. With the creation of the State Border Service (SBS) in 2002 and its granting the status of a central executive authority, border protection entered a qualitatively new stage of development.
On February 22, 2018, the installation of the first official border sign on the Azerbaijan-Russia state border in the village of Zuxul, Qusar district, marked the beginning of the precise demarcation of the state border for the first time in the history of independence.
By a Decree of President Ilham Aliyev in 2007, the SBS Academy was established, and professional training of personnel began in 2008. Starting in 2018, upon the instructions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, combat posts along the state border with Armenia in the Gazakh and Aghstafa directions were taken over by the SBS and placed under reliable protection.
During the 44-day Patriotic War, the personnel of the SBS liberated a 132-kilometer section of the Azerbaijan-Iran state border, the districts of Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Gubadli, the settlement of Hadrut, and the city of Shusha, raising our state flag at the Khudafarin Bridge and along the border. A devastating offensive spanning 105 km from Fuzuli to the border was organized within 24 hours.
Through the high-precision deployment of “Harop,” “Quzgun,” and “Hermes” UAVs by the SBS, 290 strategic targets, anti-aircraft missile systems, tanks, and command-and-control posts of the enemy were destroyed. Following the victory, nearly 20 new military units and modern border outposts were commissioned in the liberated territories.
By recent decrees signed by President and Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, 131 SBS employees who distinguished themselves in protecting the state border, safeguarding territorial integrity, and fulfilling service duties have been awarded high ranks, orders, and medals. Today, the Azerbaijani border guard continues to vigilantly protect the borders of our country in the air, on water, and on land.
