Some 180 mines, unexploded ordnance defused in Karabakh last week [PHOTO/VIDEO]
By Vafa Ismayilova
Some 82 anti-personnel and 18 anti-tank mines, as well as 79 unexploded ordnance, were found and neutralized on the liberated territories between April 19 and April 24, Azerbaijan's Mine Action Agency has reported.
Some 90.8 hectares of the Azerbaijani territories liberated from the Armenian occupation were cleared of mines last week, the report added.
Meanwhile, Day.az said, quoting the agency's expert Khalig Zulfugarov that the section of the highway passing through Aghdam region's Garvand village was completely cleared of mines. Some 15 anti-tank and 25 anti-personnel mines planted by Armenians were found on the bridge over the Khachin river.
Moreover, booby traps were found on a bridge on the highway that is being constructed.
The report added that the construction of a highway leading to the liberated city of Aghdam continues at an accelerated pace and it is currently underway on the territory of Tazakand village. The new four-lane road to Agdam with a length of 45 kilometers and a width of 26.5 meters was designed in accordance with the first technical category. It is also planned to build road and rail bridges across the Khachin and Uzun Dara rivers.
Some 21 Azerbaijani citizens, including 14 civilians were killed and 87 citizens, 16 civilians were injured in mine explosions in liberated lands since the signing of the Karabakh peace deal on November 10, 2020.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on February 26 and April 20 described Armenia’s failure to provide the mine maps as the main difficulty for Azerbaijani IPDs to return to their homes. He said that this is yet another war crime by Armenia as several servicemen and civilians were killed in mine blasts on the liberated territories after the war.
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