BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 12. Mines are a big problem for Azerbaijan, and the country is trying to solve it on its own, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines (AzCBL) Public Union Hafiz Safikhanov told reporters, Trend reports.
"In 2020, Azerbaijan was among the top ten countries in the world in terms of mine and unexploded ordnance contamination, whilst according to the latest statistics, it’s in the top three-five countries, and the number of mine victims in Azerbaijan exceeds the total number of mine victims in the South Caucasus,” Safikhanov said.
According to estimates, there are one million or even slightly more mines and unexploded ordnances in Azerbaijani liberated territories, he noted.
“To solve the mine problem, we must rely on international experience and strengthen awareness-raising measures," Safikhanov added.
Following the liberation of its lands from Armenian occupation in the 2020 Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan from Nov. 2020 started carrying out operations on clearing its lands of mines, booby traps, and various weapons left behind by the Armenian troops.
Since the signing of the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, by Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia [following the second Karabakh war] up to date, a total of 299 people, including military personnel and civilians, have become victims of mines as a result of the explosion of mines laid by the Armenian armed forces, 55 of them were killed, and 244 people were injured of varying severity.