Mine clearance for smart village project underway in liberated Zangilan

By Azernews

By Vafa ?smayilova

Azerbaijan is clearing of mines a land plot aimed for the Smart Village project implementation in the country's Zangilan region liberated from Armenia's occupation in 2020, Mine Action Agency official Bahruz Namazov has said.

Some 72-hectares of the land plot had already been cleared of mines and unexploded munitions.

"The land plot is intended for the implementation of the Smart Village project in  Aghaly-1, Aghaly-2, and Aghaly-3 settlements of Zangilan region. Currently, the work to clear the territory of mines and unexploded ordnance continues," Namazov said.

Eighty-two anti-personnel and 18 anti-tank mines, as well as 79 unexploded ordnance, were found and neutralized on the liberated territories in the said period.

Some 21 Azerbaijani citizens, including 14 civilians were killed and 87 citizens, 16 civilians were injured in mine explosions in liberated lands since the signing of the Karabakh peace deal on November 10, 2020.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev earlier described Armenia’s failure to provide the mine maps as the main difficulty for Azerbaijani IPDs to return to their homes. He said that this is yet another war crime by Armenia as several servicemen and civilians were killed in mine blasts on the liberated territories after the war.