ANAMA operator maimed by hidden mine in Azerbaijan’s Khojavand

A mine explosion occurred in the village of Tagavard, in the Khojavand district, resulting in injuries to an employee of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA).

Ilgar Vali Shirinov, born in 1967 and serving as an excavator operator, was injured when an anti-personnel mine detonated, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The injured employee was promptly transported to the district hospital, where part of his right leg was amputated at the ankle. Medical officials have classified his condition as stable.

It is estimated that since the 1990s, more than one million landmines have been planted across Karabakh and its surrounding areas. Even after the 2020 war ended, nearly 3,000 Armenian-made mines, manufactured in 2021, were discovered in the Kalbajar and Lachin districts, highlighting ongoing hazards despite the cessation of active conflict.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 Second Karabakh War, landmines laid 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