Excavations to continue in Aghdara district following discovery of mass grave, official says

Excavations will be repeated in the areas where remains of 10 or more individuals were recently discovered in Balligaya, according to Zaur Ismayilov, a member of the Working Group of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Missing Persons, and Hostages.

“According to eyewitness accounts, during the fierce fighting that took place here in 1993, a detachment of the Azerbaijani army was surrounded and destroyed. During the search in Balligaya, remains belonging to 10 or more individuals were discovered. This work will continue. Excavations will be repeated in the areas where the remains were discovered,” Ismayilov told local media.

As part of the ongoing Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons, participants of the international conference titled “Uniting Efforts and Enhancing Cooperation for Addressing the Issue of Missing Persons” are visiting the Aghdara district. The delegation observed crucial demining operations near the site of the newly uncovered mass grave and received briefings about mines laid by Armenian armed forces during their occupation, as well as details of the grave itself.

On October 9, during the conference, President Ilham Aliyev disclosed that 29 mass graves had been uncovered following the liberation of Azerbaijani territories. He emphasised that forensic examinations confirmed the victims were subjected to horrific torture. The president condemned the mass killings, inhumane burials, and attempts to conceal these crimes as severe violations of international legal norms.

By Sabina Mammadli