About 1,000 mines, unexploded ordnance defused in Karabakh
By Vafa Ismayilova
Azerbaijan's Mine Action Agency has defused about 1,000 mines and unexploded ordnance on territories liberated from the Armenian occupation in last year’s war.
In its weekly report, the agency said that its experts seized and defused 93 antipersonnel mines, 33 anti-tank mines and 873 unexploded ordnance in liberated Tartar, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Shusha, Gubadli, Jabrayil and Zangilan regions from May 17 to 22.
As a result, over 243 hectares of land were cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance.
Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenia's occupation in the 44-war in autumn 2020 are currently being demined at a high pace. The Mine Action Agency experts demine the territories intended for building roads and infrastructure facilities, and for laying cable communication lines. The territories aimed for cropping are also being cleared of mines.
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 earlier 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.
--
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
