Landmine explosion injures ANAMA employee in Khojavend

A new landmine incident has once again underscored the ongoing threat posed by Armenian-laid mines in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.

According to the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), a mine explosion occurred today in the village of Tagaverd in the Khojavend region. The explosion injured Ilgar Veli oglu Shirinov, a 1967-born ANAMA employee working as an excavator operator. The agency reported that Shirinov triggered an anti-personnel mine while carrying out his official duties. He was immediately evacuated to a regional hospital, where doctors were forced to amputate his right leg at the ankle. His condition is reported as stable.

The tragic incident highlights the enduring consequences of Armenia’s decades-long military occupation, during which hundreds of thousands of mines were planted across Azerbaijani territories, including residential areas, agricultural lands, and roads. Since the end of the 2020 Patriotic War, over 350 Azerbaijani civilians and personnel have fallen victim to landmines, with many killed or severely injured while supporting reconstruction or returning to their native lands.

Despite continuous demining efforts led by ANAMA, the process remains difficult due to Armenia’s refusal to provide full and accurate maps of mined areas. Azerbaijan continues to call on the international community to hold Armenia accountable for the use of landmines as a tool of terror, which continues to endanger human life and delay the safe restoration and resettlement of liberated regions.