Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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Two people were injured in a landmine explosion in the village of Chardakhli, located in Azerbaijan's Aghdara District, on August 3, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), the incident occurred while Alzamin Surkhayli, born in 1994 and employed by a non-governmental organization involved in humanitarian demining operations, was carrying out his duties. An anti-personnel landmine exploded, injuring his right leg.

Another demining employee, Fuzuli Mirzayev, born in 1998, sustained minor injuries in the incident.

Both injured workers were evacuated to the district central hospital. Their condition is reported to be satisfactory.

Azerbaijan faces one of the world’s most severe landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination challenges, particularly in territories reclaimed after decades of conflict. Large areas of the Karabakh and East Zangazur regions remain contaminated by landmines and other explosive remnants of war, posing serious risks to civilians, reconstruction workers and demining personnel.

The contamination largely dates to the 1990s conflict and subsequent occupation, when extensive minefields were laid around settlements, roads and military positions. The scale of the problem has been compounded by incomplete and unreliable minefield maps, making clearance more difficult and dangerous. Since the 2020 war, Azerbaijan has made demining a central priority alongside the reconstruction and resettlement of the liberated territories.

The Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), together with international partners and humanitarian organisations, has been conducting large-scale clearance operations. Demining is essential for reopening roads, rebuilding towns and villages, restoring agriculture and enabling the safe return of displaced residents.

According to Azerbaijani authorities, hundreds of people have been killed or injured by landmines and other explosive remnants since the 2020 war, including civilians and demining personnel. The continuing casualties underline the long-term humanitarian and economic consequences of the contamination and the importance of sustained international support for mine clearance.