In a short amount of time, Dro, along with Garegin Nzhdeh and other commanders, drove out the Azerbaijani army and expelled most of the Turkic-speaking Muslims from Syunik, solidifying Armenian control over the region. On the night from 21–22 March 1920, when the Azerbaijanis were celebrating Novruz Bayram, the Armenians of Artsakh revolted and organized a surprise attack. During these clashes thousands of people from both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides were killed, with more than 7,000 houses burned and Shushi virtually cleansed of its Armenian population. Dro, who had not expected the Armenian uprising, arrived in Artsakh only in April, when many Armenian villages had already been destroyed by the Azerbaijani army. On 27 April 1920, the Red Army invaded Azerbaijan and established a Soviet government there. The leadership of the Red Army demanded that Dro and his army leave Artsakh and Syunik. Dro knew that if he did not comply with this demand the Red Army and the armed forces of Azerbaijan would act jointly against Armenia and the Armenians of Artsakh. Dro withdrew from Artsakh after he was given assurances by the emissaries of Bolshevik leader Sergo Ordzhonikidze regarding a just solution to the Artsakh conflict. On 26 May 1920, the 10th Congress of the Armenian National Council of Karabakh, which took place in Taghavard village, proclaimed the establishment of Soviet power in Artsakh. The Armenian National Council of Artsakh was replaced with the Revolutionary Committee of Nagorno-Artsakh, headed by Sargis Hambardzumyan. That same day, Kanayan left Artsakh with his units and withdrew to Syunik. In the July 1920, Dro and Minister of Defence Ruben Ter Minasian led a campaign against Ottoman-backed Muslim rebels supported by Azerbaijan in the Vedibasar and Zangibasar districts (around modern-day Vedi and Masis, respectively), resettling Armenian refugees in the abandoned Muslim villages. In August 1920, Dro's forces engaged in skirmishes with the Red Army, which made attempts to advance into Syunik. Despite some initial success, Dro was forced to leave Goris to the Red Army and withdraw to Daralayaz (modern-day Vayots Dzor). Turkish–Armenian War and Sovietization of Armenia On 24 September 1920, Kâzım Karabekir's army invaded Armenia. Dro commanded the defence of his native district Surmalu. Although Dro successfully defended Surmalu, the fall of Kars and the further advance of Karabekir's army forced Dro's army to retreat to the other side of the Arax River into modern-day Armenia on November 12. From