Azerbaijani civilian killed in mine explosion in liberated Sugovushan village

By Aisha Jabbarova

An Azerbaijani civilian has been killed in a mine in explosion in Tartar district’s recently-liberated Sugovushan village, Trend reported on February 18.

The victim is Baxtiyar Mahmudov, a former IDP from Azerbaijan’s Lachin district who until now lived in Tartar’s Seydimli village.

Azerbaijan's Prosecutor-General's Office said on February 9 that 14 citizens - of them nine civilians - died in mine explosions in the newly-liberated territories since the signing of the Karabakh peace deal on November 10. The number of injured in these incidents is 52 so far.  

Meanwhile, Day.az quoted the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry as saying on February 19 that sometimes civilians seek to visit the liberated territories bypassing checkpoints.

Earlier, the government agencies warned the citizens against visiting these lands due to the frequency of mine explosions.  

President Ilham Aliyev on 4 February also warned citizens against visiting the newly-liberated lands. He said that mine clearance was the first stage in the process to return Azerbaijani IDPs to their homes, adding that the process will take some time.

Azerbaijan liberated around 300 villages, city centres, settlements and historic Shusha city in the war with Armenia that lasted from September 27 and November 10. Other Armenian-occupied districts - Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin - returned to Azerbaijan's control after the singing of the Russian-brokered Karabakh peace deal on November 10.