Today marks the 26th anniversary of the establishment of the Special Forces of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense.

According to Report, the Special Forces were founded on April 30, 1999.

The formation of the forces involved officers and warrant officers who had participated in the First Karabakh War. The Special Forces are equipped with modern weapons, ammunition, and gear from leading global defense industry companies.

The Special Force units took part in the April battles, during which a significant amount of enemy personnel and equipment was destroyed.

During the Second Karabakh War, the Special Forces made a decisive contribution to the success of Azerbaijani troops in key offensive directions. Special operations and reconnaissance-diversion groups of the Special Forces distinguished themselves through effective nighttime operations in difficult mountainous terrain and deep behind enemy lines. They infiltrated gaps in Armenian defenses, seized dominant heights, cut off roads, identified key targets, and directed artillery and airstrikes. A large part of Azerbaijan's main strike group on the southern front of the theater of operations consisted of Special Forces units.

On October 4, President of Azerbaijan and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev congratulated unit commanders—Major General Mais Barkhudarov and the commander of the Special Forces, Major General Hikmat Mirzayev (now Deputy Minister of Defense and Commander of the Ground Forces with the rank of Colonel General)—and their personnel on the liberation of the city of Jabrayil and nine villages in the district from occupation.

The Azerbaijani Special Forces also played a key role in the subsequent operation by Azerbaijani forces that determined the outcome of the war—the liberation of the city of Shusha. For this, President Ilham Aliyev personally congratulated Hikmat Mirzayev.

Thirty-six Special Forces servicemen have been awarded the title of Hero of the Patriotic War, two have received the Zafar (Victory) Order, and 57 have been awarded the Karabakh Order.