MoD sappers defuse 227 mines, munitions in liberated lands in Feb-Mar

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani Army’s engineering-sapper units defused 227 mines and unexploded ordnance from February 1 to March 3, the Defence Ministry reported on March 4.

The engineer-sapper units have so far cleaned about 14,365 hectares of land in the liberated regions, detecting and neutralizing 6,092 anti-personnel mines, 2,159 anti-tank mines, and 9,231 unexploded ordnance of various types, the report added.

The army's engineering troops are clearing mines and snow from roads to allow for safe vehicle movement, as well as establishing new supply routes to troops stationed in mountainous and difficult terrain. Demining is also taking place in sowing fields.

The majority of efforts in liberated areas are aimed at demining towns, agricultural plots, roads, and other infrastructure.

Other critical efforts, such as identifying and neutralizing mines and explosive ordnance, as well as engineering support, continue in the liberated areas, the ministry said.

Armenia submitted to Azerbaijan all mine maps of liberated territories as a result of talks held through the Russian Defence Ministry's mediation on December 4, 2021.

On March 2, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stated that the low accuracy of Armenia's minefield maps of Azerbaijani liberated territories slows the mine-clearance process.

"The demining operations are underway, but people are still losing their lives. From the end of the 44-day Second Karabakh War to the present, over 200 people have become victims of mine explosions in liberated lands," Bayramov said.

He added that the high mine contamination of the liberated territories hinders the return of former internally displaced persons to their native lands.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan's Mine Action Agency, along with the partner countries, carries out demining activities on its liberated territories. Moreover, the State Border Service and the Defence Ministry also demine the liberated lands.

Armenia deliberately and constantly planted mines on Azerbaijani territories, in violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention, thereby being a major threat to regional peace, security and cooperation.

Previously, on June 12, Azerbaijan handed over 15 Armenian prisoners in exchange for a map detailing the location of 97,000 mines in formerly-occupied Aghdam.

On July 3, Armenia submitted to Azerbaijan maps of about 92,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines planted during the occupation of Fuzuli and Zangilan regions.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Russia-brokered peace agreement on November 10, 2020, to end 44 days of fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.