Today Marks the Birthday of Azerbaijan’s National Hero Polad Hashimov

Today is the birthday of Azerbaijan's National Hero, Major General Polad Hashimov, The Caspian Post reports.

Today, he would have turned 51.

Polad Hashimov was born on January 2, 1975, in the Vandam village in Azerbaijan's Gabala district. He later moved with his family to the city of Sumgait. He graduated from the Heydar Aliyev Higher Military Academy.

Major General Polad Hashimov died heroically on July 14, 2020, while repelling an attempted offensive by the Armenian Armed Forces during fierce fighting in the direction of Tovuz. The general was buried on July 15 in the Second Alley of Honor.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev phoned Major General Polad Hashimov's mother and expressed his deepest condolences to his family.

On December 9, 2020, by order of the head of state, Hashimov was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan.

By order of President Heydar Aliyev in 2003, Hashimov, with the rank of major, was awarded the Medal "For Military Merit." Six years later, in 2009, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, he was awarded the Medal "For the Motherland." On June 25, 2014, Polad Hashimov was awarded the Order "For Service to the Fatherland," 3rd degree, and the Order "For Service to the Fatherland," 2nd degree, for his courage in the April battles of 2016.

Hashimov was the Chief of Staff of the 1st Army Corps, which fought for the village of Talish during military operations along the front from April 2-4, 2016, and was wounded. On June 25, 2019, Polad Hashimov was awarded the highest military rank of Major General. He was later appointed Chief of Staff of the 3rd Army Corps of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

In 2020, a street in Gabala, where the Alley of Martyrs is located, was named after Polad Hashimov. A street in Baku also bears the name of the National Hero of Azerbaijan.

Hashimov's name has also been immortalized in Türkiye. For example, a park named after Polad Hashimov was established in the Demirtas district of the Osmangazi district of Bursa.

Hashimov is survived by two sons and a daughter.