ANAMA: Over 400 Azerbaijanis killed or injured by landmines since 2020

Despite continuous mine-clearance efforts and public awareness initiatives, 409 Azerbaijani citizens have been killed or injured in landmine incidents since the end of the 2020 Patriotic War, the country’s national demining agency has reported.

Vugar Suleymanov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), shared the figures during the opening ceremony of the Amputee Football Nations League in Baku, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

Suleymanov said that more than 1.5 million mines remain buried across the territories liberated from Armenian occupation.

He underlined the importance of developing amputee football in Azerbaijan, describing it as a vital platform for the social reintegration of landmine survivors and people with disabilities.

Suleymanov also expressed gratitude to all organisations supporting the event — including the World Amputee Football Federation, its president Mateusz Widłak, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), SOCAR, and the Neftçi Sports Club.

“We once again thank everyone who has contributed to the reintegration of mine victims and other persons with disabilities through amputee football. We deeply value these games, which are being held in our country for the first time, and wish all teams success,” Suleymanov said.

Since the end of the 2020 conflict, landmines and unexploded ordnance have claimed or injured hundreds of lives, with ANAMA continuing its vital mission to clear contaminated areas. To date, the agency has cleared roughly 140,000 hectares of land, though large portions remain hazardous.

By Aghakazim Guliyev