ANAMA employee injured in landmine explosion in Khojaly District

A staff member of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) was injured in a landmine explosion on February 18, 2026, in the village of Mukhtar in the Khojaly District, an area recently liberated from occupation, AzerNEWS reports.

According to ANAMA, the incident occurred while the agency employee, 25-year-old Vasif Chobanov, born in 2000, was carrying out his official duties. A blast from an anti-personnel mine resulted in injuries to his left hand and face.

Chobanov was immediately evacuated to the district central hospital. His condition is reported as satisfactory, and his life is not in danger.

It is worth noting that Azerbaijan remains one of the countries most heavily contaminated by landmines in the world. During the First Karabakh War and in the years that followed, vast areas of Azerbaijani territory were mined. Estimates suggest that more than one million mines were planted across the country.

For years, the Armenian side declined to provide minefield maps to Azerbaijan. Even after maps were eventually handed over, they were found to be inaccurate, complicating demining efforts.

According to official data, more than 3,000 people have been killed or injured by landmines in Azerbaijan since 1991. Since the end of the 44-day war in 2020, over 400 individuals have fallen victim to mine explosions.

Besides, the landmine threat continues to hinder reconstruction and restoration work in the liberated territories. As a result, many internally displaced persons—who were forced to flee their homes during the First Karabakh War—are still unable to return safely to their native lands.