Landmine explosion leaves ANAMA employee seriously injured in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh

On November 17, a landmine detonated in Bala Jafarli, a village in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district, situated along the border with Armenia.

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) confirmed the incident, reporting that one of its employees, Samir Mubariz Imamverdiyev, born in 1988, stepped on an anti-personnel mine while carrying out official duties. The explosion resulted in the amputation of his right leg below the ankle, Caliber.Az reports.

Imamverdiyev was promptly evacuated to Gazakh Central District Hospital. Authorities stated that his condition is currently stable, and there is no immediate threat to his life.

ANAMA emphasized that the incident underscores the ongoing risks faced by demining personnel operating in border areas and reiterated its commitment to mine-clearance operations to ensure civilian safety.

It is estimated that since the 1990s, more than one million landmines have been planted across Karabakh and its surrounding areas. Even after the 2020 war ended, nearly 3,000 Armenian-made mines, manufactured in 2021, were discovered in the Kalbajar and Lachin districts, highlighting ongoing hazards despite the cessation of active conflict.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 Second Karabakh War, landmines laid by Armenian forces have resulted in 412 casualties in Azerbaijan, raising the total number of mine-related deaths and injuries in the country since the 1990s to over 3,400.

As of October 2025, ANAMA has cleared approximately 140,000 hectares nationwide, yet large areas remain contaminated. Despite substantial government funding and the deployment of specialised units, including all-female demining teams, Azerbaijani authorities stress that international assistance is essential to completely eradicate the landmine threat.

By Vafa Guliyeva