AGHDAM, Azerbaijan, June 17. The lands surrounding the village of Saryjali must be cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for residents to live and work, said Vugar Suleymanov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Republic Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), Trend reports.
According to Suleymanov, the resettlement of civilians to the territories liberated from occupation has already begun under the "Great Return" plan. As part of the first phase, the area of Saryjali village has already undergone demining operations.
“Saryjali is one of the areas situated close to the former line of contact. These territories were heavily mined for nearly three decades, resulting in severe mine contamination. However, our units have been working effectively. At present, the work on the ‘Saryjali 008’ site is nearly complete. Once this section is cleared, we will proceed to the next location,” he stated.
Suleymanov recalled that following the 44-Day Patriotic War, nearly 35,000 hectares of land in the Aghdam district were cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance.
“Demining is being carried out across all liberated regions, including the Gazakh district. To date, more than 206,000 hectares of land have been fully cleared. Around 199,000 mines and unexploded ordnance have been detected and neutralized,” Suleymanov added.
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