Mine explosion in Azerbaijan's Aghdara forces amputation surgery for injured civilian UPDATED

A man from Azerbaijan’s Tartar District who was severely injured by a landmine explosion in the Aghdara region is facing a major leg amputation, according to hospital officials.

The victim was initially treated at the Tartar District Central Hospital before being transferred to the Barda District Central Hospital for advanced care.

Doctors there confirmed to local media that the man had suffered a traumatic lower-leg amputation and a shrapnel wound to his right leg, per Caliber.Az.

He is scheduled to undergo surgery to amputate the right foot at the Chopart joint, a level between the ankle and midfoot. Medical staff say his condition is serious, and he is currently being treated in a specialised department.

20:48 (May 30)

Azerbaijani citizen Telman Huseynov, 46, was injured in a landmine explosion in the Aghdara district, promptly evacuated from the scene, and hospitalised at the Tartar District Central Hospital, where he received emergency medical treatment. 

Huseynov sustained multiple shrapnel injuries to his leg, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

Medical officials stated that Huseynov’s condition required further care, and he is scheduled to be transferred to the trauma unit at Barda District Central Hospital for additional treatment.

The incident occurred in the district that previously lay along the former line of contact, an area known to be heavily mined following the years-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

20:05 (May 30)

A mine explosion occurred in the Aghdara district, Azerbaijan, resulting in injuries to a civilian.

The incident took place in the vicinity of Girmizikand village, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Huseynov Telman Ahmad oghlu, a resident of Yukhari Garadaghli village in Tartar district, was severely injured by a landmine while grazing cattle.

Emergency responders are currently evacuating the victim from the scene for urgent medical treatment.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the explosion and are urging caution in affected areas.

The incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by landmines in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories, particularly in the Karabakh and East Zangezur regions. As part of its post-conflict recovery strategy, Azerbaijan has prioritised large-scale demining operations. However, progress remains hindered by the extensive presence of mines and unexploded ordnances reportedly planted by Armenian forces during decades of occupation.

Since the 1990s, over one million landmines are believed to have been laid in Karabakh and surrounding areas. Despite the end of the 2020 war, nearly 3,000 Armenian-made mines produced in 2021 were discovered in the Kalbajar and Lachin districts, pointing to continued risks even after hostilities ceased.

The humanitarian toll has been significant: since November 2020, 392 Azerbaijani citizens have fallen victim to landmine incidents, with thousands more affected since the start of Armenia’s military aggression. Efforts to obtain accurate minefield maps from Armenia have been largely unsuccessful, as Azerbaijani authorities have deemed the maps provided imprecise and incomplete.

Currently, an estimated 12 per cent of Azerbaijan’s territory is contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war, posing a major obstacle to reconstruction and the safe return of displaced populations.

By Vafa Guliyeva