BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 5. International support for demining the territories of Azerbaijan is notably low, with only four percent of the funds allocated for this activity in the country originating from international organizations, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Campaign Against Landmines Public Union Hafiz Safikhanov told Trend.
Safikhanov highlighted that the former front line stands out as one of the most heavily mined areas.
"Armenia's use of mines to terrorize Azerbaijan continues. Yesterday, Hasanali Aliyev, a resident of Garadaghli village, born in 2001, was injured by a mine explosion in the area of Giziloba village in the Tartar district," the chairman said.
"This is the second incident of a mine explosion in Giziloba village. It is critical for our residents to strictly follow the recommendations offered during mine awareness exercises. The number of mines and explosive ordnance in our liberated areas and along the former line of contact emphasizes the need for prudence. Following the end of the Second Karabakh War in 2020, research indicated that the liberated territories had roughly 1.5 million mines and explosive munitions. The territories liberated last year as a consequence of local anti-terrorist actions hold a substantial quantity of mines and ammunition," he added.
In October of last year, we conducted surveillance of the border areas of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, covering the borders with Armenia, Türkiye, and Iran. The observation revealed the presence of mines solely along the border with Armenia. As of 2021, an incident occurred where an individual detonated a mine in Gunnut village of the Sharur district, which shares a border with Armenia," Safikhanov noted.
Since the conclusion of the Second Karabakh War in 2020 until the present, the total count of mine victims has reached 342 individuals, with 65 fatalities (comprising 50 civilians and 15 military personnel).
In January 2024, a total of 40 anti-tank mines, 123 anti-personnel mines, and 203 unexploded ordnances were uncovered and successfully neutralized in the newly liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Additionally, demining efforts cleared 734.7 hectares during this period.
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