AGHDAM, Azerbaijan, May 25. Some 302 Azerbaijani citizens have become victims of mines over the past 32 months, Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) Vugar Suleymanov said at the 2nd International Conference on humanitarian mine action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Aghdam, Trend reports.
According to Sulyemanov, as a result of exploded mines, 57 of the citizens were killed, and 245 were injured.
"Azerbaijan is one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. Mines are not only the cause of human tragedies, but also hinder the social and economic development of the country, and are the main barrier to peace and stability in the region," he said.
He said since November 2020, as a result of large-scale mine clearance measures carried out by the country, an area of 81,386 hectares has been cleared. A total of 88,260 mines were identified and defused, including 28,259 anti-personnel mines, 15,303 anti-tank mines and 44,698 unexploded ordnance.
In the end, Suleymanov added that despite this, the mine threat still remains.
Following the liberation of its lands, Azerbaijan from Nov. 2020 started carrying out operations on clearing its lands from mines, booby traps, and various weapons left behind by the Armenian troops.