ANAMA neutralizes 5,498 explosive hazards in Azerbaijani liberated territories

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) has reported significant progress in clearing recently liberated areas of explosive hazards, its latest weekly demining update revealed.

Between October 20 and 26, ANAMA teams conducted extensive operations across Tartar, Aghdara, Kalbajar, Aghdam, Khojaly, Khojavand, Lachin, Shusha, Fuzuli, Gubadli, Jabrayil, Gazakh, and Zangilan districts, as well as in the city of Khankandi, the agency told Caliber.Az.

During this period, demining crews detected and neutralized 143 anti-personnel mines, 83 anti-tank mines, and 5,498 unexploded ordnances (UXOs).

The operations have cleared a total of 1,644.6 hectares, ensuring safer conditions for local communities and advancing post-conflict recovery efforts.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 Second Karabakh War, landmines planted by Armenian forces have resulted in 399 casualties in Azerbaijan, raising the total number of mine-related deaths and injuries in the country since the 1990s to over 3,400.

So far, ANAMA has cleared approximately 140,000 hectares nationwide, yet large areas remain contaminated. Despite substantial government funding and the deployment of specialised units, including all-female demining teams, Azerbaijani authorities stress that international assistance is essential to completely eradicate the landmine threat.

By Vafa Guliyeva