Azerbaijani mine agency defuses some 376 mines, munitions for a week

By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

The Azerbaijani Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) defused some 376 mines and unexploded ordnances in the liberated land from July 18 to 24, Azernews reports, citing the agency.

During the demining operations, the agency discovered 184 anti-personnel, 11 anti-tank mines, and 181 unexploded ordnance in Azerbaijan's liberated territories, the report elaborates.

Some 953-hectare-area was cleared of mines and unexploded ordnances during the period in question.

Armenia alleged it submitted to Azerbaijan all mine maps of liberated territories following the talks through the mediation of the Russian Defence Ministry 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 at that point.

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

ANAMA, along with partner countries, is carrying out demining activities on its liberated territories. Moreover, the State Border Service and the Defence Ministry are also engaged in demining activities in 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 districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Russian-brokered peace agreement on November 10, 2020, to end the 44-day fighting in Karabakh and work toward a comprehensive peace deal.