Azerbaijan hosts key meeting on landmine clearance in Lachin PHOTO

The Demining and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Disposal Working Group, which operates under the Interdepartmental Centre of the Coordination Headquarters has held another on-site meeting in Azerbaijan’s Lachin district.

The representatives from the Mine Action Agency of the Azerbaijan Republic (ANAMA) and relevant state agencies attended the meeting, Caliber.Az reports citing the local media.

During the meeting, the head of the group Vugar Suleymanov stated that in accordance with the development plan for liberated territories, ANAMA and other organisations are conducting extensive humanitarian demining activity.

He reported that since the end of the second Karabakh war, a total of 155,447 hectares of liberated land have been cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance.

The working group members provided reports on demining activity and reviewed the work carried out in Jojug Marjanli and Sarijali villages in Jabrayil district.

Following the 2020 second Karabakh war, Azerbaijan gained control of territories that had been occupied by Armenian forces for nearly three decades. However, a significant challenge remained - extensive mine contamination. These mines pose a big threat to civilians attempting to return to their houses and livelihoods, as well as hindering reconstruction efforts.

The Azerbaijani government launched extensive mine clearance operations shortly after the war ended in November 2020. ANAMA is leading the demining efforts. ANAMA has deployed specialists and advanced equipment from various countries, including Türkiye, UK, Slovakia, and Croatia.

In July 2024, over 1,184 hectares of territory in Azerbaijan's liberated regions were fully cleared of mines by the Azerbaijani Army’s Engineering Troops, according to a report from the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry.

To date, the engineer-sapper units have cleared 39,721 hectares of land in these areas. They have detected and destroyed a total of 13,045 pieces of unexploded military ammunition, 3,318 anti-tank mines, and 10,463 anti-personnel mines.

Ongoing efforts include restoring social infrastructure and ensuring safety, with a focus on expediting road and infrastructure development in Azerbaijan's recently liberated areas.