Azernews.Az

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan’s National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) continues demining operations in the country’s regions adjacent to the front-line area. On June 14, the Agency detected two unexploded ordnance (UXO) and an anti-personnel mine in the front-line areas, Trend reported.

ANAMA inspected six shell craters on a cultivation area in the Jamilli village of Tartar region. Additionally, the minesweepers discovered and removed the engine of Grad rocket system from the territory of the village.

Moreover, the Agency inspected four houses and gardens, discovering one unexploded shell of 122 mm OF-56 caliber in the Shirarkh village of the Tartar region.

Another discovery of ANAMA was an anti-personnel mine in the Afatli village of Agdam region. The Agency took all the necessary security measures and scheduled the blast-neutralization of the mine for June 15.

Overall, ANAMA inspected four houses and gardens, seven acreages, 28 shell craters, discovered and defused two unexploded ordnance (UXO) and an anti-personnel mine, inspected and cleansed an area of 56,270 square meters on June 14.

In the period April 7 – June 14, the Agency inspected 602 houses and household plots, 22 farms, five rural schools, two military units and rural cemeteries, a medical center, acreages and winery in Zardab, Tartar, Shamkir, Agjabedi, Agdam, Fizuli, Tovuz, Goranboy, Samukh, Shamkir, Jalilabad and Ujar regions, Mingachevir, Baku and Sumgayit. As a result, 1,528 UXOs, 17 anti-personnel and seven anti-tank mines were detected and neutralized.

Currently, special rapid response teams of ANAMA with minesweeper dogs continue their operations for detecting UXOs in the border settlements.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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