Armenian bombs, mines neutralized in frontline areas
By Rashid Shirinov
Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) has examined and
cleared 48.885 square-meters of border areas on May 16, Trend
reported.
ANAMA inspected seven houses and household plots, seven acreages and 16 shell craters. Unexploded bombs (UXB) were not found.
In general, 496 houses and household plots, 14 farms, acreages, three rural schools, two military units and rural cemeteries, one medical center and winery in Zardab, Tartar, Shamkir, Agjabedi, Agdam, Fuzuli, Tovuz, Goranboy, Samukh, Shamkir, Jalilabad and Ujar districts, Mingachevir and Baku were checked up from April 7 to May 18 by ANAMA. As a result, 1422 UXBs, 13 anti-personnel and six anti-tank mines were detected and neutralized.
Furthermore, Armenian unexploded white phosphorus bomb was found in Tartar district during the research operations. The munition is considered as life-threatening -- use of such weapons is negatively perceived in the world and was repeatedly banned by various international agreements.
Special rapid response teams of ANAMA with minesweeper dogs continue their operations for detecting UXBs in the border settlements.
On April 27-28, Armenian army fired the settlements and positions of Azerbaijani army in Tartar, Agdam and Aghjabadi regions. As a result, two civilians in Agdam were killed, many wounded are detected as well.
Serious damage was done to 84 houses in Agdam. 36 houses of Garadaghli village were damaged, five houses were destroyed. In the village of Zangushali 16 houses were damaged, one was burned down, two houses and a store were completely demolished. The number of damaged houses in Afatli village was 21, while two houses were completely ruined.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
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