 The battle was part of a larger territorial land dispute with the predominantly Armenian population in Karabakh who, aided by the neighboring Armenia, regained independence from the Republic of Azerbaijan.The battle took place in the strategically vital mountain town of Shusha (known as Shushi to Armenians) on the evening of May 8, 1992 and fighting swiftly concluded the following day after Armenian forces captured and drove out the defending Azeris.Armenian military commanders based in Nagorno-Karabakh's capital of Stepanakert had been contemplating the seizure of the town after a hail of Azeri military bombardment had begun shelling the city.