| Special Purpose Police Unit | |
|---|---|
| Xüsusi Təyinatlı Polis Dəstəsi (Azerbaijani) Отряд милиции особого назначения (Russian) | |
| Active | 1990 – March 17, 1995 |
| Country |  Azerbaijan |
| Agency | Ministry of Internal Affairs |
| Headquarters | Baku |
| Common name | OPON |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | General Rovshan Javadov |
| Notable commanders | Commander of Aghdam detachment Allahverdi Baghirov |
| Notables | |
| Significant operation(s) | First Nagorno-Karabakh War Operation Ring |
The Special Purpose Police Unit (Azerbaijani: Xüsusi Təyinatlı Polis Dəstəsi (XTPD); Russian: Отряд милиции особого назначения, OMON) or OPON (Otrjad Policiji Osobovo Naznačenija) was a special forces detachment unit within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan in the early 1990s formed during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The first body of the unit consisted of 3,000 policemen.[1]
The initial name of OMON was changed to OPON after the Azerbaijani Declaration of Independence. The unit was dissolved by the government after an OPON revolt led by Colonel Rovshan Javadov on March 13, 1995. On March 17, 1995, security forces of Azerbaijan sieged and stormed the OPON headquarters in the outskirts of Baku where Javadov, along with over 50 others, was killed.[2][3]
See also
References
- ↑ "Prezident sarayı, 8 iyun 2000-ci il" [Presidential palace, June 8, 2000]. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ↑ "SÜLHƏDDİN ƏKBƏR MƏNƏ QƏZƏBLƏNDİ VƏ DEDİ..." [Sulhaddin got mad and told me...]. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ↑ Babek Bakir (2010-03-17). "Əsas itkilərimiz ağ bayraq qaldırandan sonra baş verdi" [Main losses came after we raised the white flag]. RFE/RL. Retrieved 2010-07-22.