"Armenian-planted mines still pose serious threat" Statement by Azerbaijani MFA

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, in a publication on social network X, has underscored the persistent and alarming issue of mines planted by Armenia, citing the serious injury of a 29-year-old civilian in a mine explosion on March 3.

Caliber.Az reports on the gravity of the situation, shedding light on the ongoing threat that continues to claim innocent lives.

The latest victim marks another casualty in the string of mine explosions since November 2020, with 346 Azerbaijanis falling prey to these hidden dangers.

The Foreign Ministry's statement emphasizes the urgent need for continued awareness, vigilance, and international cooperation to address the serious consequences of mines that pose a lethal risk to civilians.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the enduring challenges posed by explosive remnants of war, underscoring the importance of ongoing efforts to clear affected areas and raise public awareness to prevent further tragedies.

Since the Second Karabakh War in 2020, 346 Azerbaijanis, including civilians and servicemen, have been victims to mine blasts that caused 65 deaths and 281 injuries.

The mine action in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan launched by the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) shortly after the 2020 war revealed the heavy contamination of the residential areas, agricultural lands, riverbanks, forests, and cemeteries with landmines and unexploded ordnance.

Armenia provided Azerbaijan with eight maps allegedly detailing the minefields in the territories liberated from occupation, specifically the locations of the mined areas encompassing the Murovdagh range in the Kalbajar district. 

However, as with previously submitted maps, the information provided in these latest maps remain imprecise, unreliable, and incomplete, according to ANAMA.

According to normative technical regulations, minefield maps should include reference points, types, numbers, spacing of the mines, and methods of laying and concealing them.

The accuracy of previously provided information on minefields laid by Armenia in the Aghdam, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, and Zangilan districts of Azerbaijan was only 25 per cent.

In 2023, in joint efforts by ANAMA, the Defence Ministry, the Emergencies Ministry, and the State Border Service of Azerbaijan, around 53,082 hectares (128,700 acres) of territory in the liberated lands were cleared of mines. The number of neutralized anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, and unexploded ordnances were 3,495, 5,034, and 23,049, respectively. 

The government of Azerbaijan estimates at least one million mines laid by Armenia during the years of occupation.