Azerbaijani sappers clear over 1,000 hectares of liberated lands of mines PHOTO

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry has reported that in July 2024, engineering troops cleared over 1,184 hectares of liberated territories of mines.

To date, these units have successfully demined 39,721 hectares of reclaimed land, Caliber.Az reports citing the ministry.

The operations have led to the discovery and neutralization of 13,045 unexploded ordnance, 3,318 anti-tank mines, and 10,463 anti-personnel mines.

Efforts are underway to restore social well-being, ensure security, and advance engineering support for accelerating road and infrastructure development in the historic Azerbaijani territories recently liberated from occupation.

The persistent threat of landmines poses a significant obstacle to the repopulation of the liberated Azerbaijani lands. According to Azerbaijani government data, international experts estimate that it will take nearly 30 years and $25 billion to address demining-related issues.

Since the cessation of hostilities, the Azerbaijani government has been actively engaged in demining operations in the liberated territories to facilitate the return of internally displaced people to their homes. Despite significant efforts, these operations encountered challenges due to the inaccuracy of maps indicating the locations of landmines presented by Armenia.